


Black Nightmares

by BeautifulWorld



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Pitch is pissed and attacks the world but what else is new, references to the books
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 05:49:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 104,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13517865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautifulWorld/pseuds/BeautifulWorld
Summary: Pitch has returned from the shadows, but now he has new targets. They are as ancient as the Guardians themselves and, if the cards are played correctly, could deal just as much damage.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story i've been working on since 2014 or something and I'm still working on finishing it. Some parts of the story will be older than others, though I'll try to edit them before posting them here. I would import the story but Fanfiction won't let me. Sadly. 
> 
> The story is going to be finished.

Leaves rustled as the sun made its path, slowly sliding down the sky. The leaves reflected its color, a bright amber glow encompassing the land around it. It was almost as though the world was on fire.

A man stood nearby, looking out of place in the world bathed in light. His eyes scanned the distant suburbs, squinting at the brightness that jutted against his eyes. It seemed as if the sun couldn't go down fast enough for him. And, indeed, as the ball of fire fell further and further below the horizon, the more comfortable he seemed.

It seemed fitting that the man who was dressed completely in black would be more at home in it. Even his hair was a black the color of ink, his skin an ashen gray. As the last sunray left the sky, a smile crept over his face, one that, should anyone see him, make the hair on the back of their necks stand on edge, an uneasiness settle around them. One might even mistake him for something not entirely human.

But this man had nothing to worry about. He knew that he would not be seen, as he had not had eyes set on him for years now.

Suddenly, a sound approached his ears; distant, yet unmistakable. It was the sound of sand. He turned his head, quickly making sure to hide himself in even deeper shadows. Bright golden sand, almost similar to the light rays that had disappeared only a few moments ago, appeared from behind an overhead cloud. It danced across the sky, seeming to have a life of its own, forming animals and bright pictures.

The man watched silently as the sand entered the homes of the people below him. After a few moments, the sand departed as quickly as it had come. When he knew it was safe he walked to the hill, looking down at his target; a two story house in walking distance from where he stood. It seemed quant, but he knew the inhabitant that lay within. Yes, he thought.

"It is time to set the plan in motion."


	2. Chapter 2

Alfred's eyes narrowed as he stared at the paper in front of him. After a moment, he took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes, cleaning the lenses and then deposited them in their rightful spot on his face.

The blond took another look at the sheet of paper, as if trying to read the words as they scrambled off the page. …It wasn't working. Heaving a tired sigh, he shoved the papers aside and sat back in the chair he was presently sitting in, and had been for the past few hours. It was no use; he had been staring at these things so long he could no longer focus. If he read another sentence of the paperwork his boss had given him, he would go insane.

Slowly, the nation's eyes inched their way towards the clock hanging on the far end of the room. Just past ten…

He huffed. His boss would probably get on to him for not finishing but… he was tired. He really didn't think he would even be able to register what he was reading if he kept going. Resigning to the sleep-deprived portion of his mind, he stood and walked slowly towards his room, stumbling every now and then.

Might as well be drunk, he thought. When he finally reached his room, which seemed to be much too slow for his liking, Alfred took a split second to decide if he wanted to change or not. He went with the latter. As he collapsed on the bed he waited for the thoughts to come, the random thoughts of his people that usually had to be blocked, but surprisingly… they were quieter tonight.

He smiled softly and closed his eyes. It was a nice surprise.

Though right before he fell asleep, he could have sworn he felt a presence not far away.  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The world was dark. So dark.

It was chaotic. People were running amuck in the streets, trying to salvage whatever they could. Along the streets lay terrors; Zombies stumbling trying to find their next victim, aliens running rampant blasting at anything in their path, ghosts and demons possessing whoever they could and turning them against each other, other supernatural creatures tearing and shredding human flesh. 

This was all going on in front of him and yet he didn't find it very worrying. He often came across these scenes in the world of dreams, or nightmares, especially after a particularly bad horror movie. He had grown used to them, though he did feel a bit unnerved seeing them all at once…

But no, what was really worrying him was the tugging sensation in his gut. The pull, like it was a rope attached to him, was dragging him towards a large building a fair distance away. The building was swarming with darkness and he felt a foreboding sense at seeing it. 

I don't want to go there. I don't want to go there at all.

And yet, his legs started walking in its direction, through the zombies and aliens, past the ghosts and demons. It was as if he had no free will of his own, just a puppet someone was pulling the strings on. 

The closer he got to the formidable building, the more the smaller ones seemed to appear around it. They looked abandoned, but he waited anxiously for something to pop out. It could be anything, like the things he had just passed. Though… All of the creatures seemed to have disappeared now.

But even though there were none in his sight, the feeling only grew stronger. It was as if the building cast a giant shadow over the city, one that would encompass everything if he went in.

It was only when he grew closer still and the shadow (he did think it was strange that a shadow was on the building even though there was no sunlight) dipped over him, making a cold rush of panic fill his veins, that he managed to try and slow himself down. He grabbed at his legs, trying with all his might to stop them from moving, pulling, tugging, anything-he did not want to go in there; he couldn't go in there- but they(His legs weren't a part of his body now. They were an unknown force pulling him to his doom) wouldn't stop. He only managed to stop them for a fraction of a second, allowing him the smallest sense of relief, before it was cruelly tugged away and they continued.

They drew closer and closer to the door; gigantic and double sided, contrasting the dull black of the rest of the building (Skyscraper. It was a skyscraper.) with a deep, dark amethyst -like shade. It did not make him feel better in the slightest. 

As he drew a few feet from the front steps, the doors swung open, revealing nothing but pure, black darkness and his legs kept walking.

Fear coursed through every vein in his body, panic bordering on hysteria. He had to get away!

Plummeting down into a backbend, he tried to claw at the gravel. Bringing his back down in a dead weight, he tried to stop his own limbs. It didn't matter if he could feel the gravel digging and scraping in his skin, the few drops of blood run down his back. He wasn't sure why, but he just could not face whatever lie inside that building.

Tilting his head back he, though he saw nothing, felt a hand shove him forward. The force was powerful, sending him completely into the darkness. The only sound came from the doors swiftly clanging shut behind him and his own frantic breathing.

That was when he started shouting.

"No!" He shot forward as the windows to the outside became foggier, as the echo died. He heaved the door with all his strength, hitting it as hard as he could. "Let me out! Don't leave me in here!" There was no response, but he didn't care. "Le- let me out! I don't want to be here!"

His fists paused for a second and in that pause came a voice. It laughed, cold and cruel, the sound reverberating off the walls and being sent straight at him. He slowly turned his head, expecting to see something, but there was nothing. Only pitch black darkness.

He slid down the door, the air seeming to turn colder the more time passed. His heart hammered, his voice weak and shaky as he started. "Who-" His voice cracked so he tried again. "Who's there?"

This time a cackle greeted him and forward stepped his former caretaker. His emerald eyes glinted with amusement as they looked at him, seemingly bearing into his very soul. "Well... Hello there, America. Gotten yourself into more trouble I see?" He wore a white dress shirt and slacks, almost like he was ready for a world meeting. Or maybe the Englishman knew the man in front of him would be dragged here.

He blinked, becoming more unnerved by the minute. "W-why are you here?"

The Briton smirked. "I was in the neighborhood. I thought I would stop by and take care of some things." 

The way he eyed him as if he were some animal to be slaughtered, his lips turning into a sneer, made him scoot further against the wall. He prayed the doors would burst open, just for one second, so he could make a break for it. He decided to stall. "What kind of things…?" He tried to make himself sound less scared than he actually was. _Pretend it's a normal conversation. Pretend._

"Oh, just something long unfinished."

He heard a soft clink come from somewhere behind Arthur, metal sounding, hollow. When the man in question saw him eyeing it, he pulled the object out of what seemed like thin air.

His eyes widened when he saw it, his heart-felt like it would burst out of his chest. He gave up all hope of escaping. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find the words. It was a musket, the musket. Not his, but the one Arthur had nearly…

The man raised the gun and pointed it at him. His face darkened, and his eyes filled with malice. "I should have shot you when I had the chance." His hand found the trigger, and he pulled without a moments hesitation.

The shot echoed loudly as he immediately raised his arms to shield himself. A sharp pain emitted from his stomach and he doubled over. There was an eerie silence that followed as he gritted his teeth, waiting for Arthur's next move. Would he shoot again? Would he kill him? ...but nothing happened. He slowly lowered an arm to inspect the wound. It was deep, blood flowing freely and quickly staining his shirt. 

Another sound made its way through the silence. Laughter filled the room and echoed off the walls, as if someone had made the funniest joke in the world. He lowered his other arm and saw Arthur with tears in his eyes, clearly enjoying the shock on his face and the blood that was gradually draining from his body.

He stared; emotions started to boil inside his stomach. He felt sick. The wound hurt, yeah, but not as much as those. The betrayal, pain, sadness, shock, and guilt stumbled over one another, fighting for supremacy. The guilt was quickly winning. … Had he made this happen? 

Arthur looked at him, cold eyes contrasting drastically with the cruel and sarcastic smile on his face. "Pathetic," he whispered, disappearing into the veil of darkness.

He stared into the darkness as more of his blood pooled onto the ground around him and he wondered if he would be dead by morning. Honestly, he would probably be dead before that. 

More laughter interrutped the thought. He jumped, looking further in the depths, trying to see who or what it could be. Matthew stepped forward.

"Hello, Alfred."

He flinched at the way his twin said his name. It was filled with anger, and resentment. The tone had the same bite Arthur's did. Did Matt really hate him?

His twin smiled ruefully, as if hearing his thoughts. "Oh, no, I don't hate you. Just because you made my life a living hell? No..." Matthew's face quickly morphed into one to matched the fiery light in his eyes. "That's not the only reason I hate you." He growled.

He shrunk back, almost like he had when Matt had gone on that three hour long rant… This was worse, though. By far. Had he really made his twin hate him that much?

"Yes, you have. You want to know why?"

No, he didn't.

"Well, you're going to hear it, Alfred!" The Canadian gritted his teeth. "You made them all forget me, Al! How's that for a reason?! You just… You walk around like you know everything and come up with these stupid ideas that don't even work. People mistake me for you all the time and we don't even really look alike! We don't act alike! I get beaten up at least once a month by Carlos because he thinks I'm you!"

A new emotion slips in, cold and empty. It's shame. "I'm sorry, Matt… I don't meant to. I didn't-"

"You didn't know?!" There's a note of betrayal in his brother's voice. That somehow hurts more than anything else. "Alfred, just…" Matthew paced the floors a few moments, unsure what to do with himself, before he stopped and glared. "You know what..? You aren't worth my time. I'm not helping you." With that, he dissapeared as quickly as Arthur. 

For what seemed like hours he stared into the pool or black, trying to comprehend that his brother had just deserted him. Then, when a sharp stab of pain came, he put a hand over the wound and tried to stop the bleeding. It didn't work, the crimson liquid still dripping out. That was when the silence became engulfing, washing over everything and ringing in his ears. It was something he didn't need, or want. He didn't need to be alone with his thoughts right now, not-

Voices started. They seemed to come from everywhere. They screamed from the darkness, and behind him where he couldn't see. They cried, talked, and yelled. Each word pierced his skin, and dug deeper than any bullet could.

"Don't need? You selfish capitalist."

"Worthless!"

"Pathetic!"

"Weak!"

"Fat!"

"Useless pig."

His hands covered his ears, but it stopped nothing. They continued, one after the other, so loud he felt his head might burst. Squeezing his eyes shut, he shouted, "Stop! Stop it!"

"Why would we stop? You're awful and you know it. You deserve this."

"Go away! We don't need you!"

"We wouldn't care if you left!"

"Drop dead, Alfred."

He leaned forward, body trembling and eyes stinging with tears. Everything hurt. "Stop it! Please!"

A final voice whispered, right next to his ear. It caused a shiver up his spine, and terror hadn't even known on the battlefield. 

"We'll all betray you in the end. You have no allies."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Alfred's eyes shot open and he still found himself staring into blackness. His chest was shaking with the force of his breaths and he, along with his clothes, was drenched in sweat. His heart felt like it had run a marathon… on mars. Quickly, he tried to get up - to get away. He found that there was no door blocking his exit.

Something moved under him, though he wasn't sure what. Something creaked and he found that his hands and, well... his everything was shaking. He reached for a new place to lay his hand, but found nothing. The next thing he knew, he was lying face down on the floor with his butt in the air and legs sprawled in different directions. His hair stuck to his face and he had to try very hard to remember how to breathe.

Looking up, he saw faint shapes in the room; a dresser with clothes sprawled in various directions, a nightstand with a black brick shape that looked similar to a cellphone and a lamp, a door that was wide open, a fan spinning in continuous circles gently sending a breeze his way. It wasn't completely black.

He slowly sat up, trying to find the bullet hole in his side that was no longer there. He gave a shaky breath and whispered, "What the hell was that…?"


	3. Chapter 3

Matthew laid his head on the icy counter, proceeding to hold back a groan as he had been doing for the past few…whatever time it was. His phone lay a few inches in front of him, its dark screen seemingly mocking him.

Inside his gut a great war seemed to be taking place, one that he had been trying to take sides on since he had woken up that morning. Or shortly thereafter. And now it was… what time?

He slowly picked his head up and turned it to check out the frost-bitten window. It was dark, the sky a perfect midnight blue. Great, he had been at this longer than he thought. Why did his brother have to be so stubborn?

Snowflakes tumbled outside, seemingly trying to dance with each other. He wondered how they could look so carefree.

The losses of the war were growing and god he hated the stupid feeling. Yes, it told him when his brother was in trouble, but the last time he had called…

He laughed softly. Yeah, Alfred had deflected his worry like a force field. Matt, he had said, you're overthinking it. I'm fine.

Oh, of course he was fine. He was always fine.

Heaving a sigh the Canadian picked up his phone in what was almost a pain staking manner, but… he didn't care if Alfred joked around when he called. He just had to know if he was okay; if the feeling was right. It always came when something was wrong with one of them and no matter what it would not fail to drive them insane with worry. It didn't matter which of them had it, the thing that came in waves and made them feel like any minute the other would be attacked; they always had to keep checking. If only just to make sure the brother on the other side was alright. But…

Almost every time it was correct.

He unlocked his phone and speedily dialed his brother's number. As he pulled it to his ear and heard it ring, fear pricked his insides.

What if something was really wrong? What if Alfred was hurt or sick or, god forbid, dying?

Not being able to help himself, the Canadian started pacing. Three rings, four rings…

What if he couldn't even pick up the phone?

The feeling grew stronger still and as he cursed it his mind kindly implied how stupid he was being. He was worrying for nothing. It was all some stupid prank. But… how the hell would it be a prank?

Six… Seven…

Come on Alfred, pick up.

Then, finally, there was a click on the other end. It sent a wave of relief through him, but that collapsed abruptly when he heard what his brother's voice sounded like. Although he made it sound cheerful, the underlying tone was… almost wary. It was also tired, incredibly so, and it unnerved him.

"Hey bro. Why you calling so late?"

Matthew paused a moment before speaking, preparing himself for the onslaught of words saying he was being a complete moron. "I uh… That feeling is back, Al. Is everything okay?"

There was a moment of silence over the line, only for a split second, but in it he knew Alfred was thinking very carefully about what he was going to respond with and how he was going to say it.

"Yeah, dude, I'm fine." His brother paused. "…Why?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. Alfred's voice had been curious, like he hadn't heard the explanation the moment before. "Al… I just said why." It was hard to believe he had slipped up so easily.

There was a slight static over the line. Had Alfred… jumped? His twin laughed and, though he supposed it was intended to be in a light hearted manner, it sounded nervous.

"Heh heh, right. Sorry. I stayed up a bit too late last night playing a new game." He cleared his throat. "So when did it start?"

The Canadian paused, trying to pick out exactly when he had noticed the growing sensation of anxiousness and paranoia in his stomach. "Well… I only just noticed it this morning…" It had just grown from there. "But I think it's been there a few days. You know how it starts; just an itch that something's wrong and its downhill from there."

As he knew would happen, Alfred waved his worry off as if it were an insect. "You're just overreacting, I promise. Nothing's wrong. I mean you know how I feel about the cold, but besides that I'm good."

He bit back a sigh. Did his brother really expect him to believe the words tumbling out of his mouth? He forced the next sentence out, knowing it wouldn't be well received. "Are you sure?"

Alfred hesitated. He hardly ever hesitated. "Yeah, I'm sure." He really did sound nervous, maybe scared, but what could possibly be scaring him?

Despite his worries, Matthew went along with the lie. He was afraid that his brother would hang up or worse if he kept pressing the issue. "Okay, I believe you."

Alfred's voice seemed surprised, most likely despite himself, when he asked, "You do?"

"Yeah... Sorry for calling you so late. Get some sleep, Al."

He could have sworn he heard a whine before the call ended.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A boy sat cross-legged on a sofa in his home, eyes narrowed in thought. His chocolate hair had fallen ever so slightly over his eyes. He almost seemed to be asleep.

The door shut behind him. He didn't look up as he heard familiar footsteps enter the room. For a moment, he heard them pause and immediately after his mother was behind him. She hadn't had to work today. "Jamie, are you feeling okay sweetheart?" She asked quietly, worry lacing her tone. "You'd normally be outside by now."

He looked outside and it was only then that he noticed it was snowing. The soft flakes rained down from the sky, just like he remembered it from a few years ago in his room. His eyes widened. Oh man! He might have missed Jack.

A cold hand pressed on his forehead and he looked up, giving his mom a wan smile as he reached for his jacket. "Yeah mom, I'm fine. I was just waiting to see if Sophie wanted to come."

She took her hand away, satisfied to see he didn't have a fever, and looked towards the hallway where they both could hear tiny running feet. Sophie emerged a moment later, hopping up and down excitedly. She was wearing her winter coat, which was still a bit too big on her.

"Snow, Jamie!" She ran to him and grabbed his hand, pointing outside. Then, she was on her tip toes and whispering, "Jack."

He smiled and walked as she nearly dragged him out the door. "I'll watch her mom."

"Okay, just be careful on the ice. I'll make some cocoa when you get back."

Both of them nodded excitedly and ran outside, before they could even hear her say 'have fun', but Jamie noticed the prickling feeling still hadn't gone away. He hoped he really was just catching something.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Drawers were open all around him as Matthew tried to rifle through his clothes. All he had managed to do was pull random pants and shirts out and sprawl them across the room. Shaking his head, he grabbed a few that would keep him warm and stuffed them in his suitcase. He wasn't sure how many he needed, but he needed them quickly.

As he grabbed long sleeve shirts and a jacket or two, well aware of the bristling cold outside, he caught Kumajiro entering the room in his peripheral vision. He continued for a few moments, expecting the bear to watch for a minute or two and then leave to do his business. However, that wasn't the case.

Kuma sat and watched, shifting his gaze from the suitcase to him. He questioned, "Where are you going?"

Matthew stopped, pausing as he was about to add a scarf to his suitcase. "I'm going to Al's house."

The bear nodded. He was used to that. "Are you going on your plane?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but realized he hadn't even thought about booking a flight or using his own jet. "They're probably shut down anyway…" He murmured, laying the scarf on top of his clothes and zipping the suitcase shut.

"Are you taking me with you?"

He paused a moment before nodding. "Yeah."

"Okay." Kuma stood and walked towards the door. "Tell me when we leave."

Nodding absently, Matthew grabbed the handle of his suitcase and moved it to the floor, where it sat ready for when he needed to grab it. He then proceeded to sit on his bed, wondering what he should do.

He knew for a fact that most flights were shut down or at least delayed and he really didn't want to wait… not to mention, despite it sounding stupid even in his own head, that he didn't want to take anything as suspicious as his own plane.

But if he really was overthinking things, though he severely doubted it, he could at least have a snowball fight with Alfred while he was there. Maybe they could have a movie marathon or something…

He smiled slightly, thinking of the times when they had stayed up all night watching entire movies or television series and seeing which one could outlast the other. The winner usually depended on whether or not they had caffeine available.

Alfred had sounded really tired on the phone though… Was he maybe having-

His train of thought was interrupted by a sudden noise filling the house. It was the sound of… footsteps? They seemed to echo through his house, bouncing off the walls, through the halls until they reached him. They were soft, so much so that he might have missed them if they didn't create such an eerie feeling, almost a presence, to go along with them. The steps were hollow, belonging to no one in the house, even though it was only Kuma and he.

Matthew silently stood, slowly grabbing the hockey stick he had leaning against his wall. When he reached the door, he asked quietly, "Kuma, is that you?" Come on, Matthew. He had watched Alfred's horror movies. He knew why it was stupid to ask.

His bear called back in a wary voice, hearing the same thing he was. "No, I don't see anyone."

Taking a deep breath, the Canadian ripped himself into the hallway. He gazed down both hallways and found they were empty, except for the one to his right where Kuma was sniffing, trying to find the intruder.

Before he could begin to wonder if he had imagined things, a voice reached his ear. It was as hollow as the steps, colder than the snow outside his home, and so close it seemed to echo.

It whispered, "Scared, are we?"

A chill ran down his spine and he instantly felt as if all of the warmth had been drained from his body, as if the voice had somehow awakened an ancient fear he had long forgotten about. Jumping backward, his body giving an involuntary shudder, the Canadian brought the hockey stick down as swiftly as he could manage. All it came in contact with was open air.

Blinking, breathing heavy, Matthew grabbed his suitcase. He then grabbed Kuma and quickly ran out the door, shut it, and locked it.

"We're going to Al's. Now." He thought aloud, hurrying to use the nation's way of travel.

Whatever was going on he did not like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nations way of traveling is basically like fast travelling in video games. They get where they want really quickly. 
> 
> I also remember using a bit of headcanon in this when I wrote it. Basically, when Al and Matt were young and Arthur left them alone they got into one of his potions/spells and tainted it. The result of this was that they were more connected to one another. This included feeling when something was wrong with the other, and went so far as the two hearing each others thoughts. 
> 
> When I think back on it I sometimes wish I hadn't included it but oh well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Feliciano. And - Matthew is, understandably, worried about Alfred.

Snow billowed through the suburbs as the night grew darker. The sky was a dark, midnight blue and the streets were nearly invisible from the lack of moonlight. The only glimpse of civilization came from the streetlamps humming in their artificial way and, if anyone was still awake, the warm glow from inside resident's homes.

Footsteps crunched in the snow, barely able to reach one's ears before they became lost in the howling wind. The lamps illuminated a teen, seeming completely at ease in the frigid weather. His skin had a pallor that was almost as white as the flakes that fell from the sky, his aqua hoodie laced with ice in numerous areas, his pants looking almost frozen to his legs. His feet were uncovered, his hair a bright silver. He was smiling, moving a frost covered crook back and forth in his hands. He didn't seem to have a care in the world.

The wind shifted ever so slightly next to his ear and the teen turned his head, as if the wind were speaking to him. As he turned, he saw a house to his left.

The house looked fairly quant, only two stories in height. The color was muted from the night and he saw no signs of life within it. Snow was piled up near the bare bushes and even some by the doorway, like the person living there hadn't bothered to try and clear it away.

This wasn't, however, what had caught his attention.

One moment, there had been nothing in the front yard; just the snow and two cars in the long driveway. The next, there was someone standing there, a shadow that he couldn't make out.

Curious and wary, he motioned towards the wind and it grew stronger around him, allowing him to jump into the current. He rode it closer towards the house, noticing vaguely that it was bigger than he had first taken it for, and got to a spot that allowed him see the shadow in a better light.

Despite what he had first thought it was not a shadow at all, but a man. He saw that the man wasn't much older than himself (in physical appearance anyways) and had medium length blond hair. And… despite the cold, was only wearing clothes a bit thicker than he was. Something glinted through the snow. Glasses maybe…?

The man walked towards the door, carrying something behind him. It looked like a suitcase. He also was carrying something in his arms…

He flew, or glided, a little closer, allowing himself a better look and his eyes widened. "No way." He whispered, feeling giddy despite the oddness of the scene. Was that a polar bear? How did he even have a polar bear?

He watched as the man set his suitcase down, along with (yes, it was) the polar bear. He knocked on the door, looking at home despite the worry that was etched onto his face. He still seemed a bit freaked out.

He couldn't help but wonder; what was wrong?

After a minute a light burst from the house, telling him that someone was indeed home. A few more minutes passed and he spotted a figure stumble through the living room towards the door. When it opened, light flooded past both men and he saw who had opened the door.

The new man looked similar to the other; shorter blond hair, glasses, around the same age, height and build. Though, he did notice that his hair looked like someone had rubbed a balloon through it one too many times. They were probably twins…

Something struck him at the sight of this guy… His eyes narrowed.

Jack had seen him somewhere before.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Matthew began looking over his twin as soon as the door opened.

His hair was sticking out in all directions, suggesting that he had been asleep. His clothes, too, agreed with the idea; a plain long shirt and alien pajama pants. He didn't have his glasses on, which explained, along with the just waking up (he hadn't bought the idea just yet…It wasn't too late.), the stumbling.

He couldn't have come for nothing, though.

Alfred was slumped over, looking like he might pass out, and when he spoke, his voice was dead tired. "…Matt?" For a moment his twin stared at him, as if trying to decide if this was a dream or not, before his entire demeanor changed. His eyes widened and he straightened, seeming entirely more awake. His voice was surprised and almost seemed slightly exited when he asked, "Dude! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

He shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed suddenly. Thankfully that hid nervousness he was still feeling from the…voice. . He didn't want to tell Alfred about that. At least not yet. His brother didn't need to hear about it if he was already having nightmares. "Well…I was just uh, worried."

A white blob past the doorway caught his eye and he saw that Kuma had already entered the house and was now heading to the guest room.

His twin laughed softly, causing Matthew to return his eyes to their previous target, and opened the door wider. "Well, since you're here, get in before you freeze your ass off."

The Canadian nodded and walked in, hearing the door shut behind him. Almost immediately he was hit with the warmth of his brother's house, so different from the snow storm outside. He felt a bit like someone who had been away from home to long.

"You know where your stuff goes."

He walked to the guest room, smiling when he saw that it had hardly changed since he had left. The bed was halfway made (because Alfred never really had many reasons to make it up. He came here often enough.), some of his things he had left from a previous visit on the nightstand.

He set his suitcase next to the wall and saw that Kuma was already curled up near the bed. Chuckling to himself, he returned to the living room.

The room was large with a fireplace in the center. Across from it sat the couch and next to it the circle-like entrance to the kitchen. The walls were a rich purple and gave off a calming aura that grew over everything. He always loved that about it.

However, the brightness in the room made it almost unnerving now. All of the lights were on, including those in the kitchen. He couldn't help but find that weird. Alfred usually kept most of the lights off. It always sent up the bills if he didn't. And why were they all on now if Alfred had turned them off before he went to bed?

Speaking of him, his brother was sitting near the fire, hands held out to catch the heat the flames were giving off. Now, with the firelight, Matthew could see what the dark had covered.

Alfred's face was thin, as if telling him his twin hadn't been eating, and he could see the shadows starting to form under his blue eyes. His skin was paler too, if only a bit. It could have been from winter, but he doubted it.

"How long are you gonna be over?"

He shrugged. "I don't know… a few days probably." He could have sworn he saw something pass over Alfred's eyes before it disappeared, replaced by what might have been joy.

"Okay, cool. Wanna have a marathon later?"

Matthew nodded slowly, though he knew that Alfred really didn't need to have a scary movie marathon at the moment. "Sure."

His brother looked towards him, noticing his gaze, and yawned. "Awesome…Okay, I'm gonna go back to bed Matt. G'night." Without another word, Alfred walked in his room and shut the door.

For a moment Matthew stood before he followed suit, returning to the guest room. He left the door cracked just in case and got into bed, not failing to notice that the feeling was stronger now than ever.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
His eyes opened. For a moment he was confused, like anyone is when they first wake and they have no idea why, but then he saw a faint light coming through the cracked door. Then he heard a creak; soft, like someone was trying to hide their footsteps.

Matthew sat up, feeling the cold seep through the blankets. He resisted the urge to pull them back over himself and fall back asleep, instead shifting so his legs were hanging off the bed. The footsteps headed away from the hall, into the kitchen. They weren't the ones that had been in his house; these were definitely Alfred's.

Slowly, he stood, trying not to wake the sleeping polar bear on the floor. He silently opened the door and crept into the hallway only to pause and think about how ridiculous he was being. It was Alfred's house and now he was the one trying to hide his footsteps. Really, he didn't need to walk around like he was breaking in.

But then he got a glimpse of his brother. He looked terrified. His face was pale and when Matthew saw him on the couch trying to drink the glass of water in his hand, he was almost certain that his twins hand was shaking.

So… Definitely nightmares then.

He walked silently into the living room, moving to where he could get a better glimpse. "Al?"

Alfred's entire body nearly lunged off the couch and he gripped the glass so hard matt wasn't sure how it didn't break. He turned his head slowly in his direction. "Yeah…?"

"Are you-"

Something changed in Alfred's eyes. They widened and he looked almost like someone had yelled at him. On impulse the older twin changed strategies, yawning. "What are you doing up?" He slumped slightly, pretending he was just as tired as he had been moments ago.

To his relief Alfred relaxed, if only slightly. The look disappeared as quickly as it had come.

His twin smiled slightly, setting the glass on the coffee table and averting his gaze. "Just got thirsty. Sorry to wake you up bro…"

The yawn was real this time. He nodded, trying not to feel this hurt that Alfred was lying to him. "It's okay. Just go back to bed alright?"

Alfred's soft response of "Okay" barely reached his ears as he headed back to his room. He could ask in the morning, but he hoped if he slept that his brother would follow.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The moment Matthew walked out of his room that morning he knew that Alfred hadn't followed his example. Not that he had slept well after waking up, but…

Alfred was sitting in the kitchen. He looked paler, making the (still growing) dark circles under his eyes more pronounced than ever. It did seem that he had tried to clean up however; clean clothes, shower, and his hair wasn't trying to defy the laws of gravity. The room looked a little cleaner too, though he didn't care all that much. Of course, Alfred was no doubt used to Arthur nagging him about it.

He walked into the kitchen, making sure that Alfred would be able to hear him. He didn't want a repeat of last night…

As he sat with his twin at the table Alfred looked up. For a moment when Matthew met his eyes he thought the look would be there, but it had gone. His eyes were dull, but they still held some life; the same that joked around and watched movies with him. The Canadian smiled slightly, just noticing the half-full bowl of cereal in front of his brother. At least he was trying to eat something. "Good morning."

Alfred smiled back, poking his lifeless cereal with a spoon. "Morning."

There were soft footsteps and both looked down to see Kuma walking in. The bear sniffed the air for a moment before looking at Matthew.

"Food?" He asked.

Matthew nodded, standing up and moving to a cabinet near the back of the kitchen. He reached inside, struggled for a moment, and then his hand returned victorious clutching a can of salmon. The thing only took a moment to open.

Alfred motioned to the counter where an empty bowl sat, ready for food to be set in.

The Canadian nodded in thanks. Al must have set it there some time after getting up. That's a good sign, he thought. He dumped the salmon in the bowl with a 'plump' and set it on the ground for Kuma, who looked more than happy.

Alfred kept poking at his cereal. Matthew wondered if that was all he had been doing to his food for the past few days.

"How do pancakes sound?" He proposed, "I can make some."

His twin shrugged. "Sure. I've got the usual stuff in the pantry." By 'usual stuff' he meant everything you needed to make pancakes from scratch.

Matthew nodded and opened a door in the very back of the room. It almost looked like a walk-in closet but it was filled with ingredients, most for home cooked meals. After grabbing all of the ingredients (Milk, flour, baking powder, etc.) he turned towards his brother. "How many do you want?"

"I don't know… Two?"

He nodded, despite knowing his brother usually ate more than that. He always said something about his pancakes being the "best in the world" and that anyone who said otherwise had a thing or two coming. Smiling to himself, Matthew started making what was probably his favorite food.

It didn't take long to get them done; maybe fifteen to twenty minutes. Alfred's cereal had gone soggy by that point, but he hadn't bothered to put it up.

He set a plate on the table in front of Alfred's face, waiting for his twin to look up. When he did his eyes narrowed questioningly.

"Eat." Matthew instructed, his tone only slightly joking, "It's good for you."

Alfred watched as he grabbed his own plate and set a fork on each. For a moment his twin stared at it as if the round squishy thing were an alien, but then picked up his utensil and slowly began eating. Matthew smiled softly and started to eat his own.

After a few minutes he saw that Alfred was nearly finished. Though he hadn't eaten very much of his share, he decided to ask. "Al?"

His twin looked up, mouth full. He tried to talk, unintelligible syllables coming forth, before swallowing. "Yeah?"

"Are you having nightmares?"

The answer was easy and obvious; yes, of course. But his brother being… well Alfred, diverted the subject. He leaned back against the chair, shifting his gaze to the table. For a moment he was silent before he said, a slight smile in his voice,

"I avert your accusing question with a proposition. How about some syrup?"

Both looked at the artificial syrup on the table that Matthew hadn't even realized he had grabbed.

The Canadian smirked. "I deny your proposition. This isn't even real maple syrup. Where's the good stuff?"

Alfred motioned towards the fridge. Matthew opened the door and saved the bottle quickly from the cold, pouring it on his pancakes. Both were silent for a moment.

Matthew broke it first. "Really, Alfred, don't pretend you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"I'm not though Matt. Really." The American defended.

With a slight sigh, Matthew continued to eat his pancakes. If Alfred wasn't going to concede then he was going to have to either wait it out or force the issue. Knowing his brother, if Matthew forced the issue he would keep on denying it. Plus, there was last night… And the phone call. And the feeling that been growing steadily since he had arrived.

"So," Alfred began, "How about a movie-"

"No, let's not do scary movies Al.", Matthew interrupted. He thought he saw Alfred relax a little. "How about…" He thought a moment.

Then, both of their eyes lit up and they exclaimed together. "Board games."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Across the world Feliciano was taking his routine siesta. If anyone had popped their head into the room everything would have seemed fine; peaceful. But if you looked closer they would see his eyelids twitching, the eyeballs flickering rapidly underneath. His breathing had shifted minutes ago.

_______________  
He blinked. Where was he?

His eyes shifted around but there was nothing familiar. In fact, there was nothing at all.

Around him there was merely darkness, though he could make out three trails; two were on either side of him and the other behind. They were a murky gray and wispy, like smoke… it felt like he had walked down them before.

Why is that, he wondered. Why would he go down any of them? They weren't welcoming. He had a foreboding feeling just looking at them, much less trying to see what they held further along the way.

But… why did it feel like he had to choose…?

A sound hit his ears; high and airy. He jumped, sucking in a breath. "Who's there?" His eyes flicked from place to place, but there was nothing… There was no flicker of life beyond the roads. The sound (It couldn't have been a laugh… Could it?) reminded him of a child. 

"Hello? Are you alright?" 

When there was no answer his eyebrows furrowed. If it had been a laugh, why would they be laughing if they were in trouble? Why would they even be here in the first place?

Footsteps ran behind him, loud in the silence. They were so close. He whipped around, but there was still nothing. The only thing there dotting the gray were tiny footprints.

"What do you want?" He asked, his voice shaky. "Why are you here?"

The laugh came again, (it was a laugh. He could tell now.) echoing despite there being no walls in sight. He turned around and this time caught the end of a cape as it disappeared. It was as black as the rest of the place.

He stared into the blackness for a few moments. This was scary… Where the hell was I?!

He blinked. There was a face in front of his, its large shining blue eyes bearing into him, unblinking. Its skin was as pale as death.

"AAAGGH!" He fell backwards onto the beginning of the third trail, hands scraping the mist. Despite it looking transparent it felt like sharp rocks. Maybe even knives. A boy was in front of him; one with a long black cape and… He paused. A black hat that was a bit too big. Blonde hair… His breath caught in his throat. "H-holy Rome?"

The long dead empire finally blinked, smiling in a way he had never seen before, standing on what could have been a ledge separating the first two roads. The smile wasn't a welcoming one, only inviting more unease. It almost seemed unnatural. "Hello Italy. Long time no see, huh?"

He nodded slowly, scooting back further. His hands felt like they were cut. His clothes were probably getting ripped too…"Y-yeah…" He gulped. "Why are you here?" 

Holy Rome plopped on the ledge, landing on something solid despite it looking as though he were floating in thin air, his feet swinging. For a moment, he frowned. "I just thought I would pay you a visit."

"Oh…" He laughed nervously. "Okay. …It's good to see you again." He wouldn't even believe himself if he were on the other end of the words.

The smile was back, larger now, as if the long gone empire had expected that response. "You too. I really wanted to tell you something." The empire jumped down from the ashen ledge and stepped closer, his face becoming completely serious. That was more of what he had remembered, until the words came. They were spoken quietly, but yet… they were so cold and empty, like he didn't care what happened. "Run."

He blinked, a chill running up his spine, the cold nearly causing him to shiver. "Run…? W-what do you mean run?"

Something shot past his ear, faster than he could even think. More and more whizzed, their cases gleaming for a split second as they passed the roads. Bullets.

"Wha- Holy Rome-" He turned his head, looking down, but there was no one there. He didn't know why he thought the boy could stop the bullets, but now that he was gone… His eyes widened and he flipped around, scrambling up. Then he ran as fast as he could down the road with more bullets still zipping by. Three, ten, twenty. 

He ran and ran, unsure how long the road would go on or if it would ever turn. Who was shooting?! Why were they shooting at him? When would they run out of bullets?!

After minutes and minutes they were still coming. His breath was falling short, chest heaving. There was a hole inside his lungs that wouldn't be filled up, but he had to keep going. He had to get away. He had to find someone. Someone had to-

The gray stopped and so did he. He sucked in one breath after another, searching frantically for any place the road might continue despite knowing there was none. It had to continue, it just had to. 

The blackness was closing in, pressing down on him. He was breathing to fast. Pain was shooting through his back and his legs. 

Wait… pain?

He looked down, his eyes slowly moving over the blood that was staining his shirt, the rips in his clothes, even the stray bullet that came right through him. His eyes widened as everything registered and he fell onto the gravel, parts of him landing in the darkness.

It was so… cold; so completely empty. All he wanted to do was to move, to get up and get out of the abyss, but he couldn't. His arms were lead and his head rock.

The laughter echoed again, along with a voice. He couldn't tell whose it was. It could have been Holy Rome, it could have been Ludwig, it could have been Kiku, it could even have been Lovino. It seemed like all of their voices mixed, forming the words, "You were always useless Italy."

He let out a shaky breath, looking either way into the darkness, trying to find that one speck of light.

They sounded so cynical, so cruel. Maybe they really meant it this time…

Wouldn't somebody just… help him? He wasn't that bad a person was he; to be left to die not even knowing where he was, without even being allowed to say goodbye? They were still his friends, after all.

Even though they had abandoned him…

Even though they had left him alone.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

His eyes shot open, his shaky breathing echoing throughout the emptiness. There was ceiling…

His trembling arms immediately went to his stomach, hands feeling for the wounds, for the blood, waiting for the pain that he knew would be there. But… there was nothing?

Feliciano sat up, lifting up his shirt as his eyes narrowed. There were no wounds, there was no pain. Except that his chest felt like it might explode. "How…?" Where was he?

The floor was wooden and bright, gleaming with the light from the sun. It was daytime…

He sighed with relief, still trying to catch his breath.

The TV in the corner was switched off and on the table he saw two different piles of paperwork. One was his, the other Lovino's. Pictures hung on the wall, mostly ones that he had put up. There were some with himself and the rest of the Axis, but others with Eliza or Antonio or Lovino.

The house suddenly seemed much too quiet, like the darkness had been. Reaching a hand out, he grabbed the corner of the table for support as he tried to stand. His legs wobbled and his feet moved like had never tried to take a step before in his life, but he was on a mission.

As quietly and as steadily as he could manage (which wasn't very) he walked down the hall and opened the first door on the right. "F-fratello?" The words from the nightmare echoed in his mind and he almost turned back, but his brother stirred. A dark brown mop of hair lifted itself from the sheets, groggy brown eyes peering through the mess and meeting his own.

"…mmm… Why 're you up…?"

Feliciano was silent, wondering if he looked as scared as he felt.

Lovino blinked a few times and sat up slightly, rubbing an eye. "Nightmare…?" When he received a nod the older Italian sighed and scooted over. "…Alright."

Feliciano hesitated and his brother raised an eyebrow. Both know that on most days he would run straight for the comfort and warmth being in the same bed offered.

"Come here before I change my mind. I'm fucking tired…"

Though he nodded, the Italian didn't have the heart to tell Lovino that this hadn't been a normal nightmare.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"Ha, Matt you got another kid."

"I know. Now my twin girls have a brother."

They were on their third game of LIFE, having already played two games of checkers, three games of Yahtzee, four games of Clue, two games of Candy Land, and at least five games of Shoots and Ladders. What could they say? They loved board games and Alfred had a huge collection that ranged from the relics to the middle ground to even the newer, stupider games. They preferred the classics, but they would try the new ones for kicks. And they went through these things fast…

Alfred raised an eyebrow at his brother before squinting at his (he had picked purple, like always. Al usually chose blue.) car on the board. "You've been getting busy with your wife, bro."

Matthew met his brother's eyes, much more full of life now, and started laughing. "Oh, okay." He looked at Alfred's car. His brother hadn't landed on any kid spaces yet, unlike the other games. "You haven't had any yet."

The American grinned. "Maybe she doesn't want kids yet dude. Besides, this is my third marriage." He spun the wheel, landing on eight. After he moved his car, his eyes lit up. "Oh! Baby girl." He picked up a small pink stick and managed to put it in his car after a few failed attempts. "We should have play dates sometimes."

He nodded. "Yeah, they'd love that. Disneyworld?" He spun the wheel again, distractedly moving his purple car.

"Of course Disneyworld. Do you even have to ask?"

"Ugh, taxes." Matthew pulled a ten thousand from his pile of money and handed it to Alfred, who was the banker in this game. They kept switching.

Alfred took the blue bill and set it on the cardboards cover. After a few moments he hadn't moved again.

"Al?"

His brother blinked, his eyes flickering back into focus. "Hmm? Yeah?"

Matthew motioned towards the box. "I need two thousand."

The American's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, yeah." He grabbed two pink bills and handed them to Matthew, smiling slightly. "Sorry, the bank was running slow."

"It's alright." He really hated to ruin his brother's good mood… Just one more try for the day. "Alfred?"

"Yeah?"

"How bad are the nightmares?"

Alfred paused for a moment, his face becoming nearly expressionless before the tired look returned. The life had dimmed. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. There was another moment of silence and he sighed softly, poking his blue stick. "Me and my little blue guy don't have to answer to that."

Matthew noticed that his brother hadn't outright denied the nightmares. He nodded. "I won't make you and your little blue guy answer, but…" He smiled at his twin. "I can wait."

Alfred huffed softly and spun again.


	5. Chapter 5

The wind whistled past his ears, nearly pushing him in one direction. He let it, trying to catch up with Sophie as she ran through the snow.

The white, almost blinding, went up past her ankles and Jamie was sure she would trip. "Slow down, Soph." They hadn't been able to catch Jack yesterday, but it had been late. Late meant colder and colder meant they hadn't been able to stay outside as long. They had wanted to come out early today, though.

His sister turned her head back and smiled at him, her golden hair falling over her face. "But I wanna see Jack, Jamie!"

He smiled and nodded. He knew she was exited and so was he. They really hadn't been able to find Jack a lot this winter. When they had been able to catch him or he was able to visit they usually didn't have much time. Either it was time for them to head inside or he had to go somewhere else to bring kids snow. He was busier now that he was an official guardian, but he still visited. The wind was usually his way of telling them where to go. That, or a snowball in the face.

Jamie knelt down and packed a snowball, ready for the inevitable hit. The wind kept pushing him forwards and Sophie was farther ahead. She could run fast when she wanted to… "Sophie, I wanna see him first! Wait up!"

"I can beat you there!"

He laughed and ran to catch up. They were headed further from the house, but that was okay. Mom would think they were going to see a friend, and they were. Just one that they hadn't told her about.

Well… They had, kind of, but she hadn't believed them.

He was closer to Sophie now. She was only a few yards in front of him. It looked like they were headed to the park, which almost looked like a big snow castle from here.

Sophie disappeared as she went down the hill in front of them, one he almost hadn't noticed because everything was white. He heard slipping and a loud, "Umph!"

The brunet slowed down at the top and looked down, a smile making its way onto his face. Sophie had slid straight into a certain someone's legs. "Jack!"

The guardian looked up, grinning. "Hey, Jamie. Great snow day, huh?" He reached down and picked Sophie up. The blonde was giggling.

She turned towards him, her green eyes glinting. "I told you I would beat you here."

Jack looked between the two of them. "You're racing for me now?" He laughed and smiled at Sophie, looking like he was remembering something. "You did have fast feet."

She smiled back at him and asked lightly, "Bunny?"

Jack shook his head. "He didn't want to get his feet cold." When she pouted he smiled more. "Just kidding, Soph. He has to prepare." Though the holiday was months away, they knew it was true. "Don't worry, Easter will be here before you know it."

Sophie nodded, smiling again. "Okay."

He set Sophie down, making sure she didn't slip further down the hill, and turned towards Jamie, ruffling his hair. "You're getting bigger kiddo."

The boy laughed. "I'm still a kid, Jack."

Jack nodded and walked around them, swinging his crook. "I know, know…" He swung it upwards and a pile of snowballs lay on the frozen ground. "And that means I can still do this-"

As the guardian shot a snowball forward with his crook, using it almost like a hockey stick, Jamie threw his own ammo. It hit Jack square in the chest. "Oh!" Jack smirked, staggering backwards like he'd been shot. "You've gotten better at this."

Jack's snowball hit Jamie in the forehead, the snow sticking to his hat. After a moment he saw blue on the edges of his vision and felt the familiar feeling of… happiness, fun. Like you could do anything and it didn't matter what went wrong. It made the other one, the sick feeling, dim.

Another snowball sailed through the air from behind both of them. Both boys turned to see Sophie laughing(and somewhat squealing) towards the park. Jamie met Jack's eyes and they ran after her, making as many snowballs as they could in the process.

They reached the end of the hill, both covered in snow. Jamie's clothes were exploding with the white from tripping along the way. They managed to cross the street successfully (success meaning minimal slipping) and skidded into the entrance of the park.

The slides were covered in ice with fresh snow on top. The ice would have made it difficult to play, but they weren't focused on that. Jamie ran to one slide and set his snowballs next to it, scouting the area. He didn't see Sophie anywhere… or hear her. There weren't that many kids in the park either, but it was still pretty early.

The brunet leaned down to start making a type of fort, or at least something to block some of the shots. He heard Jack step next to him.

"Where's Sophie? I'd think she would come out by now."

He looked around again, feeling a small amount of worry. She made it across the street safely right?

That was when he saw it. There was a wall set up about twenty feet away, near the edge of the park. It was big and it stretched a good ways. His eyes widened and he grabbed his snowballs. "Duck and cover!" He dived behind the slide as he heard multiple snowballs being hurled his way.

"Whoa!" Jack was in the air now. He rose higher to see who was behind the wall and when he did, he grinned. "Didn't expect a surprise attack from all of you!"

He didn't have to see them. He knew that Cupcake, Pippa, Claude, Caleb, and Monty were behind there.

"Hey Jack!" Caleb called. He heard another snowball sail through the air.

"Took you long enough to get here." Claude added jokingly, laughing.

Something hit the back of his jacket and he turned around, feeling the snow shift off. Sophie was giggling and when she saw him looking she ran in the other direction. "I got him!" She yelled.

He crawled out from beneath the play set and smiled when he saw Cupcake reach down and give his sister a high five. "No fair."

Pippa grinned, busy making another snowball. "It's called infiltration Jamie."

He laughed and grabbed a snowball from his arsenal, sending it at them. Jack was grinning next to them as he quickly ran to give them more ammo.

Jamie loved this. It was always a great time when he got out and played in the snow with everyone, but it was the best when Jack was with them and joined in. It was always more fun.

"Hey, everyone!"

They turned to see Jack on top of the play set, leaning on his crook. He smirked at them. "I would duck and cover again because there's a cannon ball heading your way."

Their eyes widened and they ran behind the wall, forgetting about the all-out brawl. They heard snow being mixed and Sophie peeked her head above the wall. Her eyes widened in wonder when she saw him moving the snow. "What's he doing?"

Cupcake pulled his sister down, smiling lightly. "Making a cannon ball."

Not a moment later they heard snow being hurled at them. They braced themselves for the wall to fall, but just before it would have hit the giant snowball exploded and sent fresh flakes everywhere. They stood and saw a small pile of snow in front of their wall and the rest of the ground around it covered in white, like no one had been here.

"Thought we were in for it on that one." Claude said softly before laughing. "That was awesome."

Jack jumped down, leaving the once covered play set barren of snow. "Like the new touch?"

They nodded. "I'm surprised the wall survived." Pippa added, trying to brush the new snow off of her jacket.

"Well, Sophie hadn't seen the cannonball." He leaned down. "How'd you like it, Soph?"

"Pretty." She laughed, glancing at some of the still falling snow, and then started making another snowball. She had become a lot better at it, and a lot quicker too.

Jack smiled and got back up. He shrugged, smirking slightly. "Besides, I didn't want to ruin your wall."

Claude and Caleb looked between each other. "Not enough power in the throw, huh?" Clyde summed up.

The guardian laughed and nodded. "Thought I'd at least give it a bang."

Sophie sat up and threw her snowball with a satisfied 'agh!'It hit jack in the side of the head, the white almost blending with his hair. He laughed and soon another battle was on.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Everyone was arguing again. Why did they have to keep doing that?

Despite the noise, however, the room almost didn't feel real. It looked real enough. The table was there, the chairs aligned in their designated spots, the name cards telling them where to sit were there. The nations definitely looked real. They sat or stood, talking or arguing. It was the general chaos he had grown used to at world meetings. 

But… He wasn't sure what it was about the place. Something just didn't seem right. It almost felt like the times he would walk around on no sleep or hyper on coffee and things would seem surreal. 

They weren't yelling at him though… that was good. 

Arthur and Francis were the ones going at it. He didn't know what they were talking about. It could have been an important issue or something really trivial and stupid. Something like Arthur's tea or what one of them was wearing. 

Someone tapped his shoulder. He turned and smiled when he saw it was his brother. "Oh, hey bro. What took you so long?"

Matthew shrugged, smiling slightly. "Nothing important." He sat in the chair next to him and glanced around the room. "Did I miss anything?"

He shook his head. "No, just more arguing. Ludwig hasn't gone off on us yet."

"Well, I can see that. I could hear all of you from the hall."

He shrugged. "That'll happen." He was always surprised that no one complained about it. 

Matthew chuckled. He motioned towards Francis and Arthur. "They still arguing about the same thing?"

He nodded, his smile widening. "Wanna bet?"

His brother nodded in return. "Sure. Who blows up first or who storms off?"

He thought for a moment. Which would work best...? "How about who storms off?"

"I like that. Who are you rooting for?"

"Hm… It depends on what the fight is about."

"We can't even hear what it's about though, Al."

"I know. It's like all of us have our own built in megaphones and-"

"Would everyone please shut up?!" Speaking of megaphones…

Ludwig stared them down, obviously thoroughly done with their nonsense. Slowly everyone calmed down, returned to their seats, and stopped talking. They looked towards Ludwig and waited, some more patient than others, to restart the meeting. How much longer did they have anyway? He couldn't remember when they had started in the first place.

"Took them long enough." Matthew whispered. 

He nodded. "I know." He paused and turned towards his brother, completely ignoring Ludwig as he began talking. "Hey, when's the next break?"

"I don't know. Why would I know?"

Matt suddenly sounded… different. His eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know." He watched as Ludwig left the podium and directed another nation to go up and start their speech. "I just thought you might have heard something."

"How would I have heard something?"

His eyes narrowed. Why did Matt's voice sound so weird? And why did he keep countering him? He turned his head and his heart stopped. He jumped backwards, falling out of his chair. The noise stopped around him. "Oh my god, Matt!"

Matthew stared at him blankly, like nothing was wrong. "What?"

"Yo-you're- oh my god what-"

"Bleeding? Yeah."

Blood was seeping through his brother's shirt. He couldn't tell where it was coming from. It could be the stomach but… it was everywhere. He noticed more of it every second. It was rolling down the chair, soaking the carpet. Just a moment ago he had been fine... how...?

His head hurt. Had he hit it? "W-when did-"

Matthew looked a little surprised now. "Its been there the whole time. Didn't you notice?"

"What are you talking about?!" It hadn't been there. He knew it hadn't been there.

"Who are you talking to Alfred?" Ludwig questioned from his seat, an almost annoyed expression on his face. 

He looked around, heart pounding. Everyone was staring at him like he was crazy. "What the hell are you talking about?!" He didn't care if he was yelling. His brother was fucking bleeding and how the hell had it happened? What the fucking hell was going on? "I'm talking to Matthew!" They couldn't be forgetting him now! He stood and gestured towards his brother. "He's fucking bleeding you idiots!"

Everyone looked to where his brother was sitting, but their reactions weren't shocked. They were only worried, disbelieving maybe. 

Arthur was staring at him. He could see the concern that his former guardian was showing. "Alfred, lad, what are you talking about?"

His mouth opened, but nothing came out. What did they mean 'what was he talking about'? It was right in front of their faces.

"There's nothing there." Francis whispered. He talked like he was looking at a child that he was ready to take out of the room to explain something to.

"W-what do you mea-"

"There's nothing there." Arthur repeated, serious. "We don't know any Matthew."

He couldn't breathe. He looked at Matthew again; ready to explain, but… He stared. There was nothing there. It was an empty chair. There was no blood. Not even a drop. There wasn't anything anywhere.

"Wha-what…? I don't… I don't understand."

"Alfred-san…" Kiku started, his eyebrow's furrowing. "Maybe you should sit down."

He shook his head. No, no, no, no, this was his brother. His brother was here. He was somewhere. He had to be somewhere. Oh god was he okay? Was he dying? Was he already dead? Had he even been bleeding?

"Alfred." Arthur was close now, behind him. "There is no Matthew."

He whipped around, feeling ready to fight if Arthur tried to stop him. "B-but he's my brother…!"

Arthur's look was trying to tell him to understand. "You don't have a brother lad."

Something broke. His eyes were burning. "No!" He shouted. He remembered. He remembered every day they had goofed off, every time they had fought, every… God no. This was not happening. Matt was not gone. 

He ran; out of the meeting room, away from the people who were losing their minds. "Matt!" He looked down the halls. "Matthew!"

He opened a door to an empty room. One room. Two. Three. Nothing. "Canada!"

He ran down the stairs. He had to be here somewhere. He had to be. He wasn't crazy, he wasn't. "Matt!"

Then he saw it. Red. Red drops on the stairs, heading towards the door. 

He stopped for a moment. He needed to find Matthew, see if he was behind the door. He needed to move.

After another breath, he had slowly grabbed the door knob. One more and he was out the door. Okay…It would be okay. He would find him. He would fix this, whatever this was. There was a blood trail in the hallway. It grew thicker by the corner. He rounded it, heading down another hallway and then he saw the pool of blood. And someone lying in it…

"Matt! Matthew!" He couldn't see well. His head was spinning. He ran and knelt next to his brother, who was covered in blood. His purple eyes were almost blank. "Matt, it'll be okay." He tried to see where the bleeding was coming from. "I-it'll be okay. I promise." How could someone have this much blood? It was almost ridiculous...

Matt blinked. He looked at him for a moment and then started moving. He tried to get up, sit against the wall. When he tried to help Matthew shook his head.

"Matt, you're bleeding." Matthew had to know that though. He'd already stated it... in the room. Both of them had. "Don't move."

His brother's mouth opened. He took a breath. "…Why didn't… why didn't you help me?"

"I tried! I tried to find you! I was just- I was-" Too late.

Matthew leaned against the wall and stared at the ceiling. "You'll forget me…" He said it like he knew without a doubt that it would happen. Then, he stopped breathing.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Alfred jolted awake. He couldn't breathe. He hurt. He couldn't move.

He was on the floor again.

The American saw the shapes in the room. They didn't make him feel any better this time. He just… he hated this. He hated the nightmares. He didn't know where they had come from but-

Matthew.

He shot up, frantic; his heart feeling like it would burst out of his chest. Was Matt okay?!

Though the fact registered that it had been a nightmare, he didn't care. He had to see.

He pulled himself up and stumbled towards the door, sloppily opening it. He looked down the hall towards Matt's room. No blood… That was good. Always good. He walked down the hall, slower than he wanted (he just couldn't get his body to work with him), and opened the door, flinching when it creaked. He didn't see Matthew.

Kuma was on the floor and turned to look at him. "Morning." He said nonchalantly, as if the person in front of him wasn't losing his mind.

"Whe-"

"Al?"

He froze. Just… just turn around. That was all he had to do. And breathe. Breathing helped. Slowly, he turned and his eyes fell on his brother. There were no wounds, no blood. But it could be like the dream. Or nightmare or whatever it was. It could happen at any moment. "M-matt?"

His brother's eyes narrowed in concern. "Yeah…" The purple orbs looked him over, unfaltering concern in them. "Everything okay…?"

"Yeah." He fought back the words 'just thought you had disappeared.'

For a moment Matthew didn't say anything. Then he motioned towards the living room. "I made breakfast."

He nodded, though he felt like he was going to be sick. They walked into the kitchen and he saw a plate already on the table. He nearly gagged when the smell hit his nose. He almost sat next to the food, just to pretend like he was normal, but Matthew spoke.

"That one's mine."

Alfred's eyebrow's furrowed as he looked at his brother. "Huh?"

Matthew made another plate of food, putting a smaller amount of eggs and hash browns on it before setting it on the counter. "This is yours. It's here when you want it."

Thank you. He wanted to say it, but Matthew nodded.

"You're welcome."

He was really glad they were twins…Or just brothers really.

His brother sat down and started eating. Alfred tried to think of something to do rather than check and see if Matt was bleeding every few seconds. He ended up grabbing an old newspaper and turning it to the comic section, though it hardly proved as a distraction. His eyes kept shifting from one to the other, not registering a word of what he saw.

A few minutes went by and no one said anything. Then Matthew spoke, setting his utensil on the table with a small click.

"Why'd you forget me, Al?"

He froze. What… The American raised his eyes. Matthew had blood on his shirt again, but he almost looked like a zombie. It was without the rotting, but his skin was still extremely pale and partially blue. "What?" He choked.

His twin stared at him indifferently, his voice just as expressionless. "Why did you forget me?"

Alfred blinked, fumbling with his words. "But i- I didn't forget you I-"

"Don't lie to me."

Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder. He jumped.

"Al, Al, it's okay."

He looked at Matthew and this time (this was so confusing… he wished he knew what was going on…) there was no blood. His brother was alive and he looked extremely worried.

Alfred tried to remember how to breathe. It was just a hallucination… that was it, right? A hallucination…

When he was able to think somewhat clearly, he heard Matthew ask softly, "What happened?"

He shook his head, not looking up in fear he would see something worse. "Don't wanna talk about it…"  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Someone was in the kitchen. Because there was no one else in the house other than he and his brother Feliciano could only assume it was Lovino.

The Italian walked into the room and immediately spotted his brother. Lovino was near the counter with an empty pot. It looked like he was getting ready to make lunch.

"Buon pomeriggio fratello."

The older Italian turned his head. "What do you want?"

"Hmm?"

"For lunch?"

"Oh." Good, Lovino wasn't mad at him. He didn't have to think about it long. "Pasta."

Lovino smiled slightly. "Spaghetti?"

"Sí. That's fine." Feliciano pulled out a chair and sat down. He looked out the window and watched a bit of snow start to fall. He tried to think of the night before. He was almost sure he had had another nightmare… it felt like he had.

He remembered it vaguely… It had had something to do with Ludwig, hadn't it? Yes, he thought so. But he couldn't remember what had happened. All he knew was that when he had woken up he had felt horrible and was more tired now than when he had gone to bed that night.

Maybe it had been like that dream he had had that time… when Ludwig and Kiku had left him alone. Or maybe it had been worse. It probably had.

Had Lovino been in it too? Feliciano remembered seeing his brother. He wasn't sure of what had been said… maybe his twin had insulted him? That was likely. Hurt him…?

"Feli."

He blinked, head snapping up. "Yes?"

Lovino was raising an eyebrow at him. "Are you going to help me make this?" He tried to sound annoyed, but Feliciano could tell he was concerned.

He nodded. "Of course."

Between the two of them, making lunch didn't take long at all. Lovino had made the sauce and he had made the noodles. When it was all done they ate peacefully, neither talking much until Feliciano decided something needed to be said.

"This is really good, Lovino."

His brother blinked in surprise before smirking slightly. "You helped make it, dumbass."

"You're a worthless brother."

Feli shuddered. Was that what Lovino had said in his nightmare? He really didn't like that… He wasn't sure if he felt better or worse at not being able to remember what had occurred.

There was more silence and soon they were finished. Lovino was out of his seat first and set his plate in the sink. He yawned. "I'm going to go to sleep."

Feliciano nodded, knowing Lovino had left the offer open.

When he didn't say anything, Lovino sighed. He walked back into the kitchen, having been near the door, and sat in his previous seat. He rested his arms on the table, saying quietly, "Alright, talk."

The younger Italian raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like I'm a moron." He leaned forward, his expression completely serious. "I don't want you losing sleep over this shit. What's going on?"

Feliciano bit his lip. "Its… weird."

"Weird that you're having nightmares?" Lovino sounded disbelieving.

"No." They both knew he usually had nightmares. "These were… different. Weird."

Lovino's eyes narrowed. He'd said something he shouldn't have, hadn't he? "These? You've had more?"

Feli laughed softly; nervously. "Sí." He tried to think of how to explain it, but thought he could start with something that might make Lovino not worry (he knew his brother did despite how much he tried to play it off) as much. "I haven't had a lot."

"How many?"

"Two." Then, he added as an afterthought, "I think."

Lovino was silent for a moment. "Were they like ones you usually have? Or that one from… whenever that you told me about?"

He shook his head. These felt so much different than the ones he had had in the past. It was almost like they lived, and breathed and,,, wanted to scare him to death. "They're vivid. Well… the one I had last night wasn't."

"Details?"

"Um…" He trailed off.

"So I was in it…" Lovino summed dryly. "Okay, how about the one yesterday?"

Usually, Feliciano would talk about his nightmares. But with these… he almost felt he shouldn't. He wasn't sure why. It just...

"It's not like I'll cry it out to the world, fratello."

He nodded slowly. That was true. He knew that out of anyone, Lovino wouldn't say anything. "Alright… The one yesterday mainly had…" He took a deep breath, but still didn't feel like he could say the name. "Him."

Lovino stared at him blankly, then confusedly, then his eyes widened. "Wait… You mean him him? The one that you..?"

Feliciano was silent again and that was all his brother needed as confirmation.

"What did he say? Or do?"

He didn't need to sound so suspicious. "Not a lot. He just came out of nowhere and… told me to run." He left out the bit about the empire looking as if he had just died.

"From what?"

Feliciano looked down at his stomach like the wounds would still be there. It had felt that real. "Bullets." He didn't think he should mention the voice (voices?) either. That probably wouldn't help anything…

After a moment Lovino sighed. "Well… You're not on the battlefield anymore." He stood and started to leave the room, pausing again in the doorway. He looked almost awkward. "If you need anything, tell me. I'll try-" He emphasized the try. Of course. "- not to curse if you wake me up."

Feliciano smiled. "Grazie fratello."

Lovino shrugged his thanks away and walked towards his room. "Yeah, yeah."

Well… he guessed could at least try to get some sleep later.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun had long since set. The sky was now becoming black, though it could have been a dark midnight blue. It cascaded over everything in sight and even what lay beyond. The weather was becoming colder with the glowing star's absence and inside the house nothing stirred, but a lone inhabitant. That is… if you could see the others.

Arthur sighed and looked around, feeling a slight cloud of paranoia settle around him. He couldn't tell if he liked the quiet or hated it… sometimes it was lovely; a place where he could escape form everyday life and work and… everything. Other times it snuck up on him and more than anything it seemed… suffocating. He supposed that his opinion of it varied from time to time, depending on how it greeted him.

Tonight was not one of the nights where it met with him as a friend. There was something different about the night; something in the atmosphere. It was just… off. He couldn't tell exactly what it was, but there was a nagging feeling in his gut, like someone was watching him.

He glanced over his shoulder, trying to pick out where the disturbance was coming from. It had to be somewhere close… but it might depend on how powerful the thing was.

He was almost sure it was bad. When his friends visited he usually felt a welcoming presence, something that made him want to smile. This one, mixed with the cold, only brought a sense of unease. Hopefully it was one of the good creatures that he knew. Maybe they just didn't want to be found. That could be it…

And he had had enough bad things in his lifetime. There was no need for more.

He reached down to take a drink of his tea, but realized that it had already gone cold. He must have been thinking longer than he thought…

The Brit pulled the already scrunched blanket tighter around himself, rubbing his arms. It never was warm enough in here…

Though, he knew that he had no room to complain compared to the northern countries, like Russia. He did suppose they were used to it, however. He was alright with the cold, but at the moment it just seemed a bit… much.

The silence was starting to seem to be as well. That didn't usually happen. He welcomed it most of the time. It was a break from the obnoxiousness of world meetings. Now... Maybe he should turn something on…

There was a ruffle behind him. Arthur turned, surprised, but soon a smile was forming on his face. "Hello, Flying Mint Bunny."

The green bunny sat next to him, her wings ruffling. She smiled, asking cheerfully, "Hello, Arthur. How are you?"

He couldn't help but laugh. He really loved getting visits from his friends. "I'm doing alright. How are you?"

"Fine." The bunny answered, her voice brightening further. She blinked after a moment and looked down at his tea, tilting her head. "It's not warm?" She was always so curious.

He shook his head. At times when talking to her it was almost like talking to a child. "No, I'm afraid not." Then, he glanced into the kitchen and around the living room. He saw no hints of light or flutter of wings. "Are any of the Fae nearby?"

Flying Mint Bunny shrugged, her small wings getting nudged upwards with the movement. "I think so." She looked at him with the same curiosity, her eyes wide. "Would you like me to get them?"

After a moment of deliberation, Arthur shook his head. "No, not at the moment." The prickling feeling had returned with a vengeance. It was starting to become an annoyance honestly. He didn't resist the urge to look behind his shoulder.

"Arthur?"

"Hmm?" He hummed, distracted.

There was another flap of wings and not a moment later his friend was in his line of sight. She looked worried. "Is everything alright?"

Arthur nodded, blinking. "Yes, I think so." He paused, his eyes narrowing. A thought had occurred to him. "But…"

Flying Mint Bunny's ears perked. Yes, she was always willing to help. "Hmm?"

Arthur shifted his voice to a whisper. He was unsure if he should talk too loud, just in case this thing wasn't the friendliest (Though there was always the possibility it could still hear him regardless). He wasn't sure if it even had ears, but there was always a chance. "Could you tell everyone to be on the lookout? And tell them to let me know if they see anything out of the ordinary?"

After a short pause Flying Mint Bunny nodded. "Okay." She turned and was about to fly off, but turned back at the last second.

He looked up once more, having been about to either reheat his tea or make more. "Yes?"

The bunny almost looked to be floating in mid-air. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. "Would you like me to come back so you won't be lonely?"

Arthur blinked a few times. He found that no matter how long he knew beings or creatures like her he still found himself at a loss for words when they offered things like this. He averted his eyes, embarrassed. "Well… if you want to."

The bunny smiled. "Of course." She flew towards the window. "I'll be back soon!"

After she had flown away Arthur shook his head, smiling wistfully, and returned to grabbing his tea. On the way to the kitchen he found that he was even more unnerved by the silence than before. All right… He should turn something on. At least until Flying Mint Bunny returned.

He quickly flicked on the television and turned it down so that it wouldn't seem deafening, as that tended to happen when he turned it on in this silent one last glance around the room, he returned to the kitchen. Perhaps he could cast a warding spell later…

In any case, all he needed to do was wait now.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Something wasn't right… Damn it, he just couldn't catch a break, could he?

Ugh… Lovino shifted, trying to get comfortable again, despite knowing it wouldn't be successful. His brain, despite still being partially asleep, was waking more and more with each second that passed.

Fucking… Alright, he would get up.

The pull was there. It had appeared only moments ago, encompassing his stomach and oddly his brain. The only thing it accomplished was to annoy and worry him. The annoying part was obvious and the worry…

Well, he knew why the pull was there. It had been there since… forever. It was one of the many perks that came with representing the same country...

Something shifted and it wasn't him this time. The covers were being pulled and he knew somehow that the sound coming from them was muffled. A certain someone didn't want him to hear.

After a short pause, Lovino rolled over and slowly opened his eyes. For a moment he expected to be blinded, but the room was comfortably dark. Fuck, how long had his brother let him sleep?

Or maybe Feli actually got some sleep… That would be good. But of course not. The pull said otherwise.

Feliciano was sitting next to him. His hands were gripping the covers, clenching his fingers every so often, and he looked… disoriented. Confused. Shocked.

His brother paused, like he could sense his gaze, and turned. Though Lovino had seen Feliciano after so many nightmares… this was different.

Something about this picture was wrong. Feliciano was staring at him like… it was almost like he had witnessed a murder. God, what had he been dreaming about?

Lovino had a list. He knew of many of the things that his brother was afraid of and the things that were in a lot of his nightmares. Feliciano hardly hesitated in talking about them most of the time. It was his nature to let people know and to let people in. The complete opposite of himself of course…

The dreams, or nightmares, he had usually had a large range. There were the small, almost insignificant ones. He had forgotten to get his paperwork in or he had made a fool of himself during a speech…

The middle ground was the ones he saw most often. They were the usual nightmares, as he sometimes found himself calling them. Feliciano would tell him that he kept getting lost in one of his own cities and that he couldn't find anyone to help him (or no one would), or something along the lines of the dream where no one had wanted to be friends with him and left. (Yes, he did know about that one. He was a little surprised feli had told him actually.)

The harsh ones were the nightmares he had learned to watch out for. They were the ones that delved into battlefields and warzones. The ones that destroyed the earth and made their grandfather disappear. From time to time there were also ones that involved the Holy Roman Empire and his disappearance.

With all of these nightmares, Lovino had heard about them so much and seen how his brother reacted that he knew exactly what to say, even if he was shit in the field of comforting someone.

He had only heard about one of these new… things and he already wasn't sure what he should say. He wasn't sure what to ask or do.

Sometimes he really wished Antonio were here… That bastard always knew what to say. He would be great in this situation.

But Toni wasn't here so…

Lovino averted his eyes for a moment, feeling incredibly awkward suddenly. He was about to open his mouth to speak, but before a syllable could come out he felt a hand on his shoulder. His head raised and he saw that Feliciano was just… sitting there. With his arm outstretched.

His brother looked more shocked than he had a moment ago. Maybe he thought he was still dreaming…?

"Feliciano?"

Feli blinked a few times. He shook lovino's shoulder slightly and his lips started moving. "Y-you… you're… not…" His eyes widened suddenly and he pulled his hand back, scooting to where he was nearly falling off the bed. Tears welled up in his eyes and his breathing became strained.

"M-mi dispiace." He started, the words coming out surprisingly slow. Lovino was used to him ranting quickly after these things, not dragging the words out. Despite that, these words seemed almost harder to grasp onto. "I- I didn't mean to- I- I thought that… I was helping…"

Lovino merely stared for a few moments, his brain sluggishly trying to decipher. But he needed to say something to get Feliciano to stop so he could calm him down. "Feli." His voice came out a bit rougher than he had wanted. He tried again, making it softer. "You didn't do anything, fratello."

Feliciano blinked, like the notion was completely new to him. "B-but…" He slowly looked around and seemed to see the room for the first time. He then looked in his lap, a near ashamed look crossing his face.

After a few moments of silence, Lovino was still coming up short on words. Finally, he decided on, "Do you want to talk about it?"

He rarely ever had to ask that question. And Feliciano's response was a mere head shake. "No." He stated, his voice adamant.

Lovino wasn't used to Feli being so… so like him on the subject. It was like someone had flipped their roles in the situation. He found himself asking, "Are you sure?"

His brother nodded slowly. "Sí, fratello."

He didn't want to push the subject… not really. But Feliciano usually never let up… or gave up on him when he said no. "Can you give me a-" He paused at how stupid the sentence sounded, but finished it anyway. "-hint?"

Feliciano shook his head once more and pulled the covers over his head. "M'mmn."

The scene reminded Lovino of when they were younger and his brother was scared to talk after one of his particularly bad dreams. And for a long while after their grandfather had gone that was all it had been.

He waited. After what seemed like a few minutes, Feliciano's head slowly peeked out from the blankets. He looked surprised and Lovino could hear his silent question of, 'You're still here?'

Feli gave him a look of defeat and slowly brought the covers down.

Lovino huffed, trying not to feel awkward. Fuck it. Fuck the shitty awkwardness. He wanted to help and he was going to do so, damn it. But… that help, as he knew from personal experience, didn't always come from forcing the answers. "Would you possibly be able to tell me later?"

After a moment, his brother shrugged. "Maybe."

The response was so quiet he had to double check to make sure Feliciano had spoken at all, but… he could take that. One thing was for sure. Feliciano had been right; this was weird.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The day was getting colder and Matthew knew that Alfred wouldn't be happy about it. His brother had already turned up the heater by a couple degrees and the Canadian was starting to feel a bit too warm.

It wasn't like he minded that much, though… It was Alfred's house and if it made him more comfortable then he could deal with the access temperature change.

It was getting towards the warmest part of the day, or at least the warmest it could get during winter. Alfred's house, or at least this one, was closer to the northern areas of his country. He wondered why Alfred hadn't left before all of this started, but he was almost sure it was because despite hating the cold his brother had always loved snow.

When they were little they had always gone outside and played in it. Sometimes they would build forts, which had become more elaborate over time, and other times would just make snowballs and duke it out. He kind of wished they could do that now, but…

Alfred was sitting on the couch now. He was covered in blankets and the only thing he seemed to be doing was switching between looking from the TV to the fire. It seemed like he had given up on pretending things were normal.

Matthew stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what his brother was thinking. He might be able to do it (usually it was fairly easy for them to have a non-verbal conversation this way), but Alfred hadn't been the most talkative as of late. Earlier had been the only time thus far he had gotten anything from him.

His twin turned his head, sensing the stare, and returned it with his own almost blank one. Matthew sighed and shrugged. "It was worth a shot." He whispered.

Alfred shrugged back before returning his gaze to the fire.

Matthew heard padding feet and turned to see Kuma heading towards the living room. The bear paused and looked up at him. For a moment they stared at each other, Matthew slightly questioning, before Kuma went on his way. When he reached the area next to Alfred he plopped down.

It took Alfred a little bit to notice. Matthew saw his head slowly move in the bear's general direction. He blinked, surprised.

"What?" Kuma asked almost curiously, looking up.

Alfred shrugged again. "I don't know…" He answered. When his eyes started to shift back, the bear pawed at his leg. He jumped. "What?"

Matthew thought he was starting to get it. He smiled slightly. The scene was familiar to him, though not as a spectator.

Kuma nudged Alfred's leg this time, so it wouldn't scare him as much. "Hey, you. You can pet me if you want."

Alfred blinked for a moment, but then tentatively reached down and started running his hand through the bear's fur.

Yes, he had been right. When Matthew was upset, Kuma usually found him and let him pet him. It usually helped to calm him down and it looked like his friend (…pet didn't seem like the right word) thought it would do the same for his brother.

And it did seem to. After a few minutes Alfred looked much like he had when they had been playing board games.

Matthew would have to thank Kuma later. He walked into the room and sat next to his brother on the couch. He really did hope that Alfred didn't have any more hallucinations. He realized that his brother had been having them before today. That was what the day before had been all about.

Actually seeing his brother have one, and not just that, but hearing him while he was having it… For lack of better words it had scared the shit out of him. It had taken him a moment to work out what Alfred had said, but when he did it hadn't made matters any better. He was only glad that it hadn't been longer. Though…

It brought a whole new gravity to how long Alfred had been without sleep. As nations, they could go longer without sleep than humans. For most of them, it took a good five days to a week for the hallucinations to set in. He hadn't tested that number out for himself and he doubted than many other nations had either… sleep was usually one of the few reliefs that they had.

A yawn brought him back. He turned his head to see it had been form his poor guy looked dead tired, but if he kept having nightmares… neither alternative was good for him.

"Hey, Alfred?"

His twin slowly turned his head, still petting Kuma. "M' hmm?"

He hated to ask… He didn't want to push it, though that almost seemed like an excuse somehow. But what if he made things worse? "Can we talk about it?"

Alfred's hand paused for a moment before it continued. He sighed, responding with a tired question. "Can we please not do this right now…?"

Matthew bit his lip. "Al… You need to tell me sometime." This was almost stupid. They were going in circles… Though he did understand. "Please, I want to help. I don't want you to pass out first."

Alfred shuddered, his eyes going wide. "Pass out…?" He said it like he had never considered the possibility before.

It would happen eventually if Alfred kept going on like this and his brother didn't look too far from it. "Yeah…"

Kuma turned his head and the look in the bear's eyes, though somewhat impartial, told, or maybe asked, Matthew if he should leave the subject alone for the moment. The Canadian nodded in response, understanding, and let Alfred watch the fire. Kuma could be protective when he wanted, and not just of his owner.

Another yawn came. Matthew smiled ever so slightly, trying to sound either encouraging or reassuring when he asked, "Want to try and get some sleep?"

Alfred was silent. He looked out the windows, like he was looking for shadows. The day was bright now, however. The sun was shining lightly off of the snow, though it wasn't warm enough to melt much of it. Matthew would have to watch out for ice when he stepped outside… (He wondered how long it had been since Alfred had shoveled some of the snow… He expected it had probably been a good while, but knowing his brother… he could have done it) There were very few shadows to be seen outside though, which was good.

Maybe that was why Alfred nodded slowly. "Yeah… maybe…" He still sounded reluctant, but at least he was agreeing.

Matthew's smile widened just a bit. Kuma looked satisfied as well.  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Arthur sat on the same couch, listening a little distractedly to Flying Mint Bunny talk. The feeling of a presence had grown stronger, like it was moving closer towards his house. He had half a mind to take out his wand, but that might worry the others.

The presence didn't feel very threatening as of yet. It just felt like… eyes, a lot of them, watching him. He hoped that if his friends did find it, or them, that they would be alright after their encounter. Hopefully they wouldn't go too near it though… They would know better than to do that.

"Arthur?"

The Brit jumped slightly. He turned back towards the bunny, smiling nervously. "Sorry… That was rude of me. What were you saying?"

Flying Mint Bunny tilted her head, the worried expression returning. Arthur couldn't help but think that she was adorable. It was too bad that Kiku hadn't been able to see her when he had been over last. "Are you sure you're alright?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yes, I believe so. Just…" He trailed off for a moment, unsure of how to explain it aloud. He decided to go with how his thoughts had chosen. "…thought I felt eyes on me, is all."

Flying mint bunny nodded. "I'm sure it will be fine."

Arthur appreciated the thought at least. He smiled and nodded. "Yes. I hope so…"

Silence returned once more, but it was much more comfortable now that someone was sharing it with him. It also wasn't complete silence, as the television was still on. He wasn't paying attention to anything that came from it other than the glow and the subtle noise.

Wings flapped, but he knew immediately that they were a different kind. They were smaller and less furry.

He turned around this time knowing he would see nothing but a few fairies. Four were just behind him, letting out a soft light.

"Did you find anything?" He questioned lightly, curious while at the same time unsure.

One of them nodded, looking slightly translucent. "Yes." She said, "There was something near the edge of the property." She looked very worried and this only rubbed off onto himself.

"Is it…?" Arthur trailed off in the question, unsure if he should finish it if something truly dark was lurking outside.

The Fae nodded slowly and another floated a bit towards his basement. He nodded, understanding, and walked in that direction. On the way he found himself turning on more lights, if only to add an extra brightness. He wasn't sure exactly what made him do it, but it seemed to help in one way or another.

When he reached the door to the basement, he was suddenly reluctant to enter it. These things came from shadows and his basement was only barely lit.

A fairy seemed to understand. "We will light it for you, but we have to hurry."

He nodded and allowed his friends to enter first. They would be alright, wouldn't they? ...Yes, of course they would. He needed to stop worrying.

Flying Mint Bunny was now perched on his shoulder, oddly reminding him of a bird. "Ready to go down?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes, I believe so." The stairway was becoming more and more lit, the light heading his way. "Let's find that book."

He stepped quickly down the stairs and blinked when he entered the room they led to. It was very bright, more so than he had seen in years. Well, this hopefully wouldn't take long and then he could say whether or not he should keep them on or not.

After giving his friends a thankful look, Arthur walked around the gigantic room, scanning his bookshelves. Wards, protective spells… that was what he needed.

After few minutes he had still found nothing. He should probably organize these things… but that was for another time.

There was a sound like the tinkling of bells as a fairy waved at him from a bookshelf across the room. "I found one!" She called.

He nodded and hurried over, glad to have at least something. He took out the book she was pointing to and checked it over. Protective Wards and Spells. Yes, this would do very nicely.

The Englishman smiled at the fairy and gave her a, "Thank you" before sitting at his table and opened the book.

Let's see… wards for evil spirits, wards for specific evil creatures… wards for the home. There we go.

Arthur stopped on that specific page and took out his wand, looking over the incantation. This didn't seem too bad. It was a fairly simple spell, but it looked to protect well enough. It being simple also meant it didn't need all of the symbols he had placed in the center of the room.

After a few moments he started speaking, though he hadn't specified the language the words were in. Soon, his wand let out a rich emerald green light and he could feel a fairly gentle rush of power through his veins. It was a bit different than the surge that came from the spells he usually tried to cast… He directed it into the words and into his surroundings. The spell was fairly short, but longer than most protective wards he knew, as it was designed to protect the entire home in a single step.

With a small flash of light, he was done. The power he had felt dimmed to a small whir that was always there when he needed it, as long as he didn't overdo himself that is, and he could feel the wards that he had placed as if they were connected to him.

He felt the eyes retread somewhat quickly. They or it (he still wasn't sure) was being pushed out, along with whatever might have come with it or them. Then, in a second, it was gone. He could feel it ever so slightly at the very edge of his land, still in his home, but not testing the barriers.

He hadn't screwed the spell up. That was always a good sign…

Flying Mint Bunny smiled at him from the table, almost in a congratulatory sort of way. "Well done."

Arthur fought the urge to roll his eyes. It had been a simple spell, but he had done worse with less before. Not to mention summoning Ivan. He still wasn't sure why it was always the Russian's head that came through his floor and never the rest of him along with it… He wasn't sure if he should try and fix that or not either, as Ivan would probably be angry the next time (though hopefully there wouldn't be one) he pulled him through the floor.

Actually… he didn't just summon the head, did he? Wait, no, that was stupid. He was sure a portal of some sort must appear at Ivan's house and he would stick his head through it.

"Are you heading back up, Arthur?"

The Brit looked up at the fairy's question and shook his head after a moment of deliberation. "No, I think I'm going to stay here a bit and watch the ward."

Flying Mint Bunny sat up. "Whenever you need to rest, we can watch it for you if you would like."

He nodded, smiling in thanks. "Alright, I think that would work." He directed the next bit towards the fairies. "Unless you all have business to attend to." He didn't want to be a bother to them.

After a moment, the Fae shook their heads. "No, we're free for the time being." One said, smiling as well.

He nodded. "All right." It wasn't that late. He had a good hour or so before he would need to rest.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The wind was freezing and Jack absolutely loved it. He winded through it, using the current to take him wherever he wanted or needed to go.

The sun had already gone down, and was already down where he was headed. For a bit he had been worried and kept looking around to make sure, but after a while he still hadn't seen anything. He didn't feel very stupid for worrying, though. He was just making sure and he was sure the other guardians did so as well.

He ducked past a chimney, smiling at it as he passed. That had been fun when they had had that race… they should do it again sometime.

A sound in the distance made him pause. It was coming fast, though he could tell that it rushed and flowed much like the wind he was riding on.

He stopped and waited. The sound came closer. In three, two, one…

Golden sand came bursting from a behind a nearby house, and then from the sky across from it. Jack laughed when it started to make shaped and go into people's homes. He still loved to watch it go.

Something smacked into his head and he reeled backwards. What the…

He brought his hand up and when they came back down he saw that it had been snow and in the snow were flecks of gold. Man, he was off his game today. How many times now had he gotten hit with a snowball?

He grinned and looked up, spotting the Sandman looking out from behind the nearest house. He waved. "Hey, Sandy!"

The guardian smiled back and Jack maneuvered his way over to him. Once there, pictures started to form over Sandy's head, only just slow enough that he could pick them out.

He chuckled. "I know, it's been busy. You're busy all the time though, right?" He was getting better at deciphering the Sandman's charade messages and from time to time when the guardians met up he would decipher for some of the others if Sandy shifted from one to the other too quickly.

The Sandman nodded, making more pictures over his head that Jack equated to, 'Why do you think I fall asleep all the time?'

He shrugged in response. "Well, you are made of dream sand, Sandy."

The golden man rolled his eyes and more pictures popped about his head. Jack paid attention to them, translating, but when one in specific came up he laughed. "Are you serious? Really?"

Sandy nodded enthusiastically, his smile widening.

"How did he even do that?"

Sandy shrugged, shaking his head. He looked like he was saying, 'North will be North.'

A few more pictures came up, giving him a small report on how things were going. Sandy hadn't seen anything. Jack nodded to show that he hadn't either. There was that guys that seemed familiar, but… that wasn't anything he needed to report. He was sure he could figure it out. All he needed to do was go through his memories. And as soon as he had time to do that he would. Maybe afterwards he could say. They might be curious to know.

The younger guardian looked past Sandy for a moment and when his eyes returned to the man he had been watching there was a question mark above his head that was followed a second later by a snowflake. He nodded. "Yeah. I'm bringing some kids in the southern parts snow."

He always loved bringing it to them because they usually didn't get as much of the white stuff. It was always great to see them have fun in it and even better when one had never seen it before.

Sandy gave him a thumbs up, looking behind Jack as well. Jack turned and saw that some of the sand was leaving the homes and was starting to head on its way.

"You need to go, too?" He asked.

Sandy nodded, smiling more apologetically this time. He shrugged. 'What can you do?'

Jack nodded slightly. "I'll catch you later, okay?"

The Sandman nodded in response and hopped off the roof of the house, some of his sand there in no time for him to ride on.

Jack moved his crook and a snowball shot at his friend. It hit Sandy in the back and the man turned around, looking at where he had been hit before rolling his eyes and smiling. The teen knew exactly what he was saying now. 'Should have seen that coming.'

He grinned and waved as Sandy flew off, the other waving back. Not a moment later, the wind picked up and Jack was off in the opposite direction. He looked down when he flew over certain parts of cities, making ice appear. He glanced upwards towards the already forming clouds.

It was time bring some snow days.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lovino walked quietly into the kitchen, giving his brother a quick glance. Feli was sitting at the table. He didn't look happy, which was something that seemed to make the entire house wilt with him.

He paused at the counter, sighing. They were already up, or really he was up because Feli was up. He didn't think his brother had been able to sleep once he had woken up the night before (it was still late, or early, but it was technically the next day). He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he thought his ears had caught something. Was that… laughter?

He looked around, not sure if he was really hearing something or imagining it. It sounded… creepy; dark. For some reason it really made him angry. He glared at nothing, fighting the urge to curse at… he didn't know what he could curse at. A couple of moments later, he shrugged it off and allowed his anger to fade. He needed to talk with Feli about this crap, not focus on whatever the hell that was, despite how much he wanted to yell at it. Maybe he was just imagining it and the only thing he needed to yell at was himself. "Hey…" He started, though trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Feliciano looked up, his amber eyes now alert. "Hmm?" When the eyes locked onto him, however, they dimmed slightly. "Oh, hi Lovino."

The older twin stared at him for a moment. If he had thought Feliciano may have noticed him when he walked in that idea was gone now. He had been staring out the window and Lovino couldn't help but wonder what he had been thinking about. Hm… Nearly shrugging to himself, the Italian picked up his phone and started checking things over messages and emails. Almost immediately he saw that he had a new text. "Ludwig sent something." He stated, hoping that would at least elicit some reaction, hopefully positive, from his brother.

Feli didn't look up immediately. For a moment he merely stared at the table, looking to be deep in thought, and then he met his eyes. "What did he say?" His voice was curious now, though still dulled.

Lovino actually read the message now. He sighed; glad he had looked at his phone. "He says the meeting is cancelled."

Feli raised an eyebrow, his eyes lighting up slightly with worry. "Really?" When Lovino nodded he turned his attention back to the table, his eyebrows furrowing. "He never does that…" He murmured. "…something must be wrong…."

He walked with his phone to the spot near his brother, pulling the chair out and sitting down. "I think he's fine. The potato ba-" Argh, Feliciano didn't like him saying that. He'd said his name a moment ago, but that was just because. Maybe out of formality, maybe because his brother was upset. "Ludwig knows how to take care of himself. And if he doesn't then I'm sure Gilbert will have a fit."

His brother smiled slightly, which made him smile too. "Alright… You're right. Gilbert will know what to do if it gets bad."

Lovino nodded. Though he had said it just to make Feli feel better, he knew it was true. If Gilbert saw that Ludwig was acting strangely (or really in some negative way that wasn't angry), he would start asking, or pestering him, about what was going on. This would sometimes happen at meetings when Gilbert snuck in and, from what he saw, it didn't take too long for the German to cave. It usually depended on how annoying and persistent his brother was though.

Speaking of which… "So, Feliciano…"

His brother glanced at him; most likely knowing what was coming. "Si?"

He paused. Couldn't Feli just tell him so he wouldn't have to ask? "…can you just tell me what the hell was up with last night? …Please?" He had never been the best at asking these kinds of things…

After a moment, Feliciano nodded slowly. "Alright…"

Lovino's eyebrow raised slightly, surprised at how easy that had been. "Really?"

"Si. Just…" He bit his lip. "You might need to give me a minute… I'm only saying it because I know you're worried." Before he could object, Feli met his eyes, saying seriously, "Don't give me that. I can tell."

He nodded slowly, not wanting to argue with him. "Okay… Fine. I am."

Feliciano gave him a small look of satisfaction before he looked away, thinking. Lovino let him, waiting a minute. Soon it became two, then three, then six. When it was approaching the eighth, the older brother leaned forward.

"Fratello…"

Feliciano looked up. "I'm sorry…" He whispered. "I ca-" The brunet paused for half a second, catching himself. "-don't want to."

Lovino leaned back in his chair, almost perplexed for some reason. "And why can't you?"

"Becau-" He blinked a few times, stopping. "Oh… you heard tha… I just don't…"

He waited patiently, something he wasn't attributed with towards many other nations. But he was willing for this.

Feliciano continued, whispering so softly he almost didn't hear it. "It might come true…"

Lovino took a deep breath. "It will not come true Feli…" He wanted to keep going, but wasn't sure at this point how Feliciano would take to him saying that they were just nightmares. If it were something else he would probably be reassured by it, but now… probably not. And he also hadn't seen what his brother had. Who was he to say if he hadn't experienced it?

"You don't know that… They could."

He nodded. "True…" he met his brother's eyes, waiting a moment. That probably wasn't the best response either… "But I do know that this will only get worse if you don't tell me."

Feli stared at him for a moment, unsure. He then took a deep breathe. After another minute of waiting, he finally began. "It was dark… I couldn't see a lot." He trailed off, like saying that was the worst thing he could have done. But he still kept going. "You were there… it was just you at first… You started yelling at me."

Lovino already didn't like this, though a part of him hoped this would be one of the really stupid nightmares. He knew that couldn't be the case, however. Feli was messing with his hands and his sleeves. That was something he did when he was worried or upset, though Lovino did it sometimes as well.

He did regret that his yelling had been included. He really tried not to yell at his brother, but sometimes he couldn't help it.

"I didn't know what you were talking about." Feliciano continued. "It was something about a… a box."

He really didn't have a good feeling about that box.

"And after I realized that it was a box, I could understand you a little better… You said that it was really important that I got it and brought it to you. …I didn't know what was in it, I swear… I just thought it was something you needed for an important job or maybe something our boss wanted you to do… But I said that I would go get it and you almost pushed me out the door to whatever room we were in…"

He sighed. "And then I was in this long hallway… I could see some now because it was gray. I had no idea where this box was so I started walking. And I walked for what seemed like hours. I tried to find someone to ask but… no one was there. At least not until I found the door at the end of the hall. …It was Ludwig." His hands clenched for a moment before they continued messing with the end of his sleeves. "He um… He yelled at me too. He said that I was… useless… because I couldn't find the stupid box. I told him that I had been looking, but that no one had said where it was. But he pushed me out the door too. When I tried to open it again, he was gone."

Lovino was listening, his full attention on his brother. Whatever kind of nightmare this was… it was getting weird.

"I started looking again. I found Kiku in the next room. He wasn't calm like he usually is… He was looking around, trying to find the thing too, but it wasn't anywhere in his room. He said that I had to find it and that it was of the upmost importance. He told me to get out and not come back until I had it. So I did… I left and I kept going." He paused. "There were a lot of hallways… I found a nation in all of them, sometimes two, and they were all panicking in some way… They all told me that I had to find it." He started fiddling with the ends of his sleeves more.

"They kept finding me… and every time I told them that I was trying, but none of them would let me know or even give me a direction to go in. I yelled at them a couple of times too… All of the hallways looked the same and there were no exits and it was dark and I didn't know if the box was hidden or what color it was or-"

Lovino laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to get his attention. "Fratello."

Feliciano froze for a moment. He blinked and slowly tried to calm himself down. "Mi dispiace…" He whispered.

The older twin nodded, his hand returning to his side. "It's fine."

After a minute or two, Feli continued, his voice sounding less frantic. "I looked around. I checked in every room… And I couldn't find it. I don't know where I was. It was gigantic… It was like a maze kind of… and then when I thought I would never get to it, I found another room." He bit his lip. "It was really dark in there… darker than the room I had found you in. I couldn't see anything… And then um…" He had to stop for a moment. When he next spoke his voice was soft. "I… I looked for the box and the door…" His voice lowered as he trailed off.

"… it shut?" Lovino clarified, almost not having heard his brother because he had said it so quietly.

Feliciano nodded, glancing his way. "It… it was locked. And… I tried to open it, but it wouldn't open and I- no one would get me out… I didn't know what to do. It was dark and scary and I was alone and…" He paused and said the next sentence like it pained him. "And then I found the box." He sighed. "It was almost like a chest, though."

"What was in it?" The older twin asked, wanting to know why Feli was acting like this. He knew that it couldn't be good by any means…

His brother flinched. "I grabbed it." He said slowly, ignoring the question for the moment. "I thought somehow maybe I could get out of there with it… and I did…"

Lovino's eyes widened when he saw that Feliciano had tears in his eyes. He felt terrible for making him talk about this. He almost told him to stop, but Feli continued.

"I wasn't worried about what might be in it… I just wanted to get to someone." He paused for a moment, like he had let something slip. "Or get it to someone. And I walked into the hallways again… I knocked on the doors and told them that I had found it. No one answered… They weren't in there. So I went to the room that I had found you in. And when I got there I saw that everyone was there… All of you were so worried about whatever was in it that I was glad that I had gotten it."

He got the feeling that there was nothing to be glad about…

"You opened the box. Everyone was crowding around you. Some of them were pacing, staring at it. Others were trying to reach inside. I couldn't see it at first… But then I could, like I was seeing it through you… And… it was a bomb."

Oh fuck…

Feli wiped his eyes. "It exploded." He explained. "It blew up and…" His voice choked. "Everyone died… except for me." He kept trying to stop any tears that were trying to come out (which wasn't how Feliciano normally dealt with them…) and when he saw Lovino trying to say something he quickly continued. It didn't make it any better. He turned, meeting his eyes. "I felt you die, fratello… I could feel it. And you were gone…" He made a wide gesture with his arms like the scene was still around him. "They were gone. I don't care if we've fought. All of you were gone and it was my fault!"

He waited a moment, not sure what to do. He was pretty much useless at this point. "Was there anything after that…?" He asked softly, afraid that there would be. Why would he ask that?

"There was silence." Feliciano answered, quieter. "I was in that big house… alone."

The way he had said it… That big house. Rome's.

That was when Lovino decided to say a nice big 'fuck you' to everything. Fuck his normal behavior, fuck Feli's dream, fuck the universe, fuck the stupid bomb that had killed them, and fuck all the awkwardness he felt. He hugged his brother.

Feli hugged him back, though it was much less readily than he would have normally. "It was like when grandpa disappeared…" He whispered. "The house was so quiet… but this time you were gone. And there was no one else I could even tell about it because they were gone too…"

He nodded slightly, remembering how the house had been at that time. He hated to imagine the nightmare house along with it…"I know fratello… It's okay. I'm not gone. No one else is either."

Feliciano started, "But what if-"

"No." Lovino shook his head. "It won't happen." It would never happen in that form either. He didn't think there would ever be a random bomb in some… not so random house. "It will never happen. I don't care if a million butterflies tell you that it will happen, it won't." ...Where the hell had that come from?

After a minute, Feliciano chuckled. Then he was laughing. "A- a what?"

"A million fricken butterflies." He wasn't sure why he had said it. He was trying to make a… a point? Was that it? Seriously, what the fuck?

"B-but… how-" He was laughing harder now.

Lovino felt his cheeks heat up. "W-what's so funny?" He wasn't sure why Feli was laughing so hard. Maybe it was just because he was tired.

"I- I'm thinking of you… with a million butterflies… a-and it's hilarious. T-think about it fratello. You would be r-running and they would be chasing after you or trying to… maybe give you a giant hug." He could tell Feli was really tired from this though, even if that wasn't what was causing the laughter.

The older Italian pulled away, looking at his brother oddly while at the same time trying to hide his face. "I-I would not run from butterflies."

Feliciano nodded, calming down. He was still smiling however. "Yes you would. If there were that many of them…"

"Wouldn't anybody?" He asked, his voice almost incredulous.

His brother shook his head. "I wouldn't."

Lovino paused for a moment. It was true… Feli wouldn't. He wasn't sure if he would call that stupid or admirable, but either way… "I know you wouldn't." He glanced around. It was brighter now. The sun had come up fully and now it was shining through their windows. He stood. "Are you ready to make breakfast?"

Feliciano nodded. "Very."

When he went to the counter to try to grab ingredients he could tell his brother hadn't gotten up. He turned, eyes narrowing. "What?"

Feli shrugged slightly and smiled gratefully. "Grazie fratello."

He smiled slightly, shaking his head. "Yeah… You're welcome. Just figure out what you want to make."


	7. Chapter 7

Gilbert strolled into the kitchen and turned on the light, oddly content despite this being so off from when he would normally wake up. the sun hadn't even risen, but for some reason he was mostly awake. He wasn't sure what he was doing up this early either. He had simply stirred, opened his eyes for some random reason, and had decided that he felt hungry. Usually he would have ignored it, but for once he had decided, 'why the hell not?' and had gone upstairs.

Once upstairs he had seen no signs of trouble, which was a great relief, and now he opened the refrigerator, peering inside as the glowing light streamed past him. As his eyes skimmed their various assortments of food he decided that nothing seemed to peek his, or his stomachs, interest. He didn't know what he wanted, but it sure wasn't in here. Maybe there was something else… because they had to have something appetizing for a early snack run. Just as he moved to open the cabinet next to him (where he was almost for sure food was located) he heard footsteps coming in his direction.

Curious, he looked behind him, wondering if Ludwig was up early to work out (he still called it training) or something of the sort. But the footsteps didn't sound very awake… They were slow and quiet, almost stumbling in places. That was odd… He knew that Feliciano hadn't snuck in for quite a while, but the possibility did come up. When his brother walked into the kitchen a moment later his warning bells immediately went off.

Ludwig looked… no offense to West, but he looked terrible. Though his outer appearance was mostly normal, aside from the messy blond hair that was sticking out in various places and the ruffled clothes, what really caught his attention was how his brother's eyes looked. The bright blue eyes, usually full of authority and wakefulness (even this early in the morning), were now tired and… haunted. He had seen the look many a time, especially after that war.

After looking at them the older brother noticed a few things that Ludwig was trying to hide, most likely because he was in the room and had somehow intruded on… this. His brother's hands were shaking, albeit very lightly, and his skin was pale, almost making him look sick.

He really hoped that Ludwig hadn't had another nightmare about that, but the outcome was likely. It was a pity because, as far as he knew, Ludwig only had those rarely now. The look would always stick though…

West blinked, surprised. His eyebrows furrowed, the other knowing as well as himself that he was rarely ever up before dawn anymore. When he spoke, his voice was careful, though his wariness still showed. "Bruder, what are you doing here?"

Gilbert shrugged, shutting the cabinet quietly. He smiled slightly, hoping to set his brother at ease. "It's the kitchen. I was hungry. I live here." When he saw his brother was still looking at him oddly, he explained bluntly, "Woke up for no real reason and decided to come in here."

Ludwig nodded slightly and looked away, almost seeming as if something had betrayed him. Yeah, he hadn't changed…

After a moment's pause Gilbert grabbed a glass from the cabinet, as Ludwig never let him leave any on the counter, and filled it with water before handing it out to his brother. "Here," he said, shifting the water when his brother didn't make a move to take it. He thought it might help.

West's eyes narrowed, gazing at him oddly. Gilbert only gave him a lopsided grin in return joking, "It's not poisoned. Don't worry, I checked."

After a brief moment of thought, Ludwig took the glass. He didn't take a drink, only looking at it like it as if he had no idea what to do with it. "Danke…"

He nodded, walked to the table, and pulled out a chair. One he had plopped down he looked at Ludwig expectantly, motioning with the side of his head to tell him to come over. His brother set the glass down near the chair across from him and walked behind him, still somewhat guarded, towards the sink.

"If you are hungry I could make something."

Gilbert smiled, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Ludwig's statement. "Sure, bruder. Any food is gut." It wasn't a moment ago, but now he honestly didn't care. Ludwig had changed the subject and he would usually go with it, but he needed to make sure things were alright. After a moment he heard Ludwig making toast, something he wouldn't normally go with unless they were actually 'training'. He turned, his eyes curious. "So what about the meeting later?" The thought hadn't occurred to him until a moment ago, but maybe he could sway his brother out of going.

West turned and eyed him almost suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. "What about it?"

Now Gilbert rolled his eyes. He waited until Ludwig sat down across from him to continue, a plate in his hands. When the other handed him the plate of toast he smiled slightly, but didn't give it much attention other than that. He watched as Ludwig took a sip of the water, asking like he was pointing out something very obvious, "You know that you don't have to go, right?"

"And…" West started slowly, "Why wouldn't I go…?"

"Maybe because you're not sleeping well," He stated casually.

Ludwig set the glass down and stared him down, almost daring him to say more. When Gilbert stared back and refused to back down, he sighed and averted his gaze. "Maybe I'm not…" He finally admitted.

Gilbert's smile widened, though it soon fell until he had a now serious expression. He leaned back in the chair and folded his arms, asking, "Anything I need to know about…?"

His brother shook his head slowly, not looking up from the table. "Nein."

"Bruder…"

"Nein… it's just…" He gritted his teeth, a pained light in his eyes. The cerulean orbs flicked up a moment as he spoke. "That again."

Gilbert sighed softly, knowing his brother was telling the truth. He didn't continue on that subject, not unless it was absolutely needed or Ludwig actually wanted too (which never really happened). He said softly and it would have almost sounded annoyed if his expression weren't pleading, "You know we can just reschedule the meeting, West. It's not that-" He paused before he called it 'not that big of a deal'. He was sure West would disagree. "The others have done it for one reason or another."

Ludwig didn't seem very swayed on the subject. The eyes stayed and met his crimson ones, his expression nearly steely.

Gilbert was unfazed. "You have a reason to cancel, bruder. I'm not as stupid as you might think this early in the morning."

The other leaned back, considering. Gilbert knew that his brother would try and overthink this, which was why he tried to put it the simplest terms he could without making Ludwig feel like a child. "West, if you can't sleep then you'll be a crappy host. Think about Roddie."

The face Ludwig made was almost comical. He was obviously remembering more than once occasion when Roderich had hosted a meeting, crabbier than that crustacean on one of Alfred's kid's shows. He supposed that he could have used Vash as well, though when that happened the Swiss was more trigger happy than anything. Gilbert smiled when Ludwig nodded slowly and nearly whispered in defeat, "Alright…"

The younger German took out his phone that he almost always seemed to have on him and started texting. He typed for a bit, though Gilbert couldn't tell how long the message was, and hit send. He could already guess what had been sent, but Ludwig said reluctantly, "I told everyone that the meeting is cancelled for the time being."

Gilbert allowed himself a satisfied smile and picked up a still unbuttered piece of toast, taking a bite. Now that that matter was resolved… He knew Ludwig most likely wouldn't eat his food or go back to sleep, so he would make them into options. "Good. Now, do you want to eat or go back to bed?"

Ludwig ate his toast without any hesitation.  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He was marching. He knew nothing of where he was marching to, just that he was doing so for some important reason.

He was blatantly aware that no one was marching behind him. There were no footsteps, no clattering weapons to back him up or stand with him. All he had was the musket that he carried in his hands, the thing that seemed like a hollow promise.

When he thought about it… He didn't need the weapons. He didn't want them. He just wanted this to be over, to be done with. 

He didn't want to fight his brother anymore…

Rain had started to fall from the sky. It was so dark and he was so lost in thought that he hardly noticed it until he nearly tripped in a gigantic puddle of mud. When he looked at his uniform he found it soaked along with the clothes underneath it.

It was almost fitting… maybe poetic even. The sky was crying and he was drenched in its tears.

For miles he continued to walk; miles and miles, alone with only himself as company (His feet also hurt like hell and he was freezing). It wasn't a good thing for him to be alone with his thoughts. They were bitter and resentful, sad at times. They hated what was going on and what he had to do. Or what he thought he had to do anyway…

He pushed away the one that kept trying to break him and the odd thing beating in his chest, the one that would make him turn back from his trek. It was the thought that told him he would have to let him go. That he would have to surrender.

No allies, no soldiers, no friends… He was the only army he had and that was pitiful, even more so when he took in the fact that he could never shoot. 

Distantly, footsteps made their way to his ears. There were… he couldn't tell just how many. It seemed like hundreds, echoing like thunder in the rain. He was getting closer. They were getting closer. Before he even saw them he knew he would never be able to win. It may as well be over now. It way as well… to save them the trouble of it all…

God… why was he doing this? Why had this had had to happen?

He could see them now; his brothers soldiers. They were dressed in red, white, and blue, though more blue than anything. That seemed right to him. That was color of those eyes…

And in the distance, at the helm of the ship… He could see that too. It was his little brother; it was Alfred. 

He gripped the musket tighter at his sides and almost stopped. He almost waited. But then despite himself he kept going, nearly against his will. He had to at least meet him… if he was going to give up then… that was the least his honor and pride would allow him without ripping his heart out in the process.

They were closing in now. About ten more yards left until they were head to head. He stared at the ground as he walked, the stupid circles of rainwater, not wanting to look up and see that face. He wasn't sure what would happen if he did, but he was certain he would lose any resolve he still had in him.

He only reached so far and the feet stopped, just like that. He stopped too, knowing that he shouldn't go any further.

He waited. He couldn't hear any guns being raised, or commands being shouted. There was only silence and the rain…

He remembered years ago when he would have welcomed that. It would have been a relief, a blessing… but now it was only a sad, forgotten lullaby that he would have sung to Alfred.

Then, though he wasn't sure why, he looked up. He met those blue eyes. For a moment he stared, as if he had been struck. He watched thinking of the years he had spent with what now might be his former charge. He had spent time with that little boy, raised him, looked out for him… taken him home. Now that boy had grown.

Years ago he would have laughed at Antonio if he, though he wasn't sure why his rival would bring it up with him, mentioned the young boy he was taking care of. He would have guffawed at the light that he would have seen shining in the brunets eyes at the mere mention of him, telling himself that it was weakness. But he knew better now. He knew how it felt to raise a child and grow close to them and to have them actually love you in return and bring out something better; something that maybe hadn't even been there before.

And now he knew what it would feel like to lose that.

Suddenly, he couldn't just stand there. He felt anger rush through him, white and hot. The tears that had pricked his eyes dried. He was going to fight, even if he didn't have an army. He was going to bring Alfred back.

He raised the musket and, without another thought, he charged. Alfred raised his own weapon, but not to shoot. He could see it in the lads eyes; the surprise. He did it to defend himself.

They clashed, his musket scratching his brother's like a wound all its own. A lasting mark. 

Alfred's troops raised their weapons, but they didn't shoot either. Not yet. Not without a command. They watched the struggle in front of them, ready. Soon, a weapon was knocked away and it was not his.

The musket clattered to the ground, becoming as soaked as they were. His brother stared at him and he saw… something in those eyes. Fear, yes. But it was more than that. He saw the boy he had raised, if only one last time before he lost him.

And it confirmed his suspicions. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't.

He moved to put the weapon down, to put it aside. He was never going to do it. How pathetic, his mind sneered. Not a moment later eyes widened and he looked down at the musket, at his arms. He was trying to move them, but… they wouldn't budge. They weren't listening to him.

He could feel his muscles moving and contracting, trying to do as he said, but it wouldn't… They were burning, like he had carried something for much too long, but they wouldn't budge. He felt a horrible sensation enter him. He knew something awful was about to happen and he would cause it. His musket was only inches away from harming the sole person he had let in.

He looked at Alfred again, trying to get enough breath to tell him to do something. He should get out of the way or duck or jump; anything. His mouth wouldn't work either, his voice wouldn't come.

Then he could feel his finger moving. It wasn't a fast movement. It moved like it wanted him to think about it, to suffer. He tried to stop it, to slow it further, to shout. None of those happened. He was panicking, almost not a part of his own body anymore. 

No, this couldn't be happening. Why wasn't his body listening?! Don't shoot!

Now nothing was moving but the rain. The soldiers weren't shooting, Alfred wasn't getting out of the way, and no part of his body could move. He couldn't make his legs collapse to divert the bullet. He couldn't tell someone to shoot him instead. He couldn't do anything.

He couldn't avert his gaze. His green eyes watched, terrified.

He pulled the trigger.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Arthur lunged forward, his emerald eyes shooting open. He tried to reach out in front of him, trying to stop the bullet, but his hands hit something hard, immovable. His face scrunched in confusion. Was that… a wall?

He could hear his breathing; short and frantic. His arms were shaking as well as his hands. His eyes were unfocused. His chest was heaving as well as his shoulders.

He looked around quickly, trying to decipher where he was. It wasn't recognizable. The room was large yes, but very dim. It was fairly dark, but some lights were still on. Some of the candles… A pentagram caught his eye in the center of the room and it was then that he noticed the potions and various ingredients lining the shelves along with the spell books.

Oh… He was in his basement. …Why was he in his basement?

Why had he shot Alfred?!

His mind flew, his heart thumping frantically in his chest not unlike when he had been on the battlefield moments ago. Was Alfred alright? Had he… he hadn't… had he killed him…?

The Englishman leaned back slowly, trying to catch his breath. His mind told him to run, but his body was sluggish. He looked down, slowly becoming aware that he was sitting at a desk. This was so very odd… He saw that a book was lying in front of him, open to a specific page. What was that doing there?

His eyes scanned over it, trying to remember what the hell was going on. It was something about a… a protective spell. After a moment of staring dumbly at the page, eyebrows furrowed, his eyes widened in realization. He was an idiot. A bloody idiot.

The wards. The wards!

He was an idiot. A bloody idiot. He could feel them now; they weren't whole like when he was fallen asleep(he still couldn't remember how that had happened. He thought his friends had allowed him to). They were broken… More than broken, actually.

He became aware of the sensation almost instantly, as if someone had flicked on a switch. It was nearly like his body was covered in an outer shell in which sections were gone, replaced by empty space. He could see them in his mind. Pieces were shattered, or jutting out, even missing. Holes were scattered around, some as small as a toy and others as large as an animal.

Whatever it was that had been outside his home… it was powerful. They… he didn't know. He wasn't sure.

Something became crystal clear to him. It was delayed, but it felt like someone had punched him in the gut. There was a thing, almost like a tug. It was still here!

Its presence was close, like it was actually inside the room or upstairs. He almost felt a chill, goosebumps appearing moments later, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge. Not good, definitely not good…

Arthur hurried to stand. His body struggled to cooperate and for a moment that terrified him, thinking it was like what he had just seen. He couldn't even describe it. Then he tested it, just briefly, with a leg. It shifted and then, ever so slowly, it took a step. Then he repeated the process and the other one did.

And then he was running as fast as he possibly could up the stairs, having no idea where his friends were. He couldn't see any of them in the basement, or hadn't. None of them seemed to be anywhere close to the door.

They had said they were going to watch the wards, hadn't they? He hoped nothing had happened to them.

He yanked the wooden thing open, eyes frantically searching for any glowing lights or abnormal shapes. When he could find nothing, for a small moment, he felt enraged. If anything had happened to them, if someone had harmed them in any way, they would pay very dearly.

That thought allowed him to hurry into the living room with no trouble, other than the fact that his vision was still quite distorted. He was seeing double in some places now, the shapes and colors overlapping. Some spots were merely blurs.

He couldn't tell exactly where the presence was. He didn't know how many of them there were if there were more.

Arthur kept moving his head from side to side, stumbling slightly as he glanced around the room. As he was looking he could partially see the land around his house, the barriers, but couldn't spot anything there either. Where were they? They had to be somewhere…

A voice reached his ears. It was small. He could only barely make it out, though even then he couldn't discern the words being said.

Then it became louder. There were… many. They were high pitched, but their volume had increased still so that he could understand. "Arthur! Arthur!"

He whipped around and was surprised when he saw his friends floating and flying towards him. They all looked… fine. Very concerned, but fine.

The anger dribbled out and he found that he couldn't hold himself up any longer. The Brit took a few slow breaths, somehow finding a way to maneuver himself to a chair not far away. He sat down slowly, trying to fill his lungs with air. He wasn't sure if it was the nightmare or the wards being demolished that had had the biggest effect on him.

Flying Mint Bunny perched on his knee, looking up at him with worried eyes. "Are you okay, Arthur?" She asked quietly.

The fairies moved closer, looking him over as if they could see wounds he couldn't. He could hear a very faint mumbling coming from them, though he had no idea what on earth they were talking about.

He nodded slowly towards his friend. "Yes…" he breathed, his voice quiet, "I'm fine."

A fairy spoke. He looked up, his vision shifting a bit, causing him to wince. His head was pounding. "Don't move too quickly." She admonished quietly, reminding him almost of a mother. Was it odd for a fairy to speak that way? …No, they had always helped him for one reason or another. "You should feel better soon. We only need to repair the wards."

He nodded once more. One fairy came closer and stopped near eye level, hovering maybe six inches away. She looked apologetic. "We're sorry Arthur… We did watch the wards after you fell asleep but… It got through."

"We tried to stop it," Another said. "It was quick."

The first fairy nodded. "We weren't able to see it… all any of us caught was the glimpse of a shadow." She answered to his silent question, as he had been wondering what 'it' was. The fairies seemed angry. He knew that if they had been able to catch it they would have tried to give it hell. And even more so now.

Arthur had caught his breath now. He took another despite of this. "It's alright…" He whispered softly. He could feel that the thing was gone now. It had left somewhere in between his anger and nearly collapsing. He looked his friends over as well, making sure none were hurt, but he couldn't find any injuries. That was a relief… "I'm just glad all of you are alright."

They were silent for a good while. Arthur wasn't sure what to do now. It was the middle of the night, he had no idea where or what this thing was, not to mention what its business had been here. It had broken the wards, yes, but… it didn't look like it had touched anything else…

Unless it had been the cause of the… That.

He shuddered, trying to push the image out of his mind that he had awoken to. He wasn't sure if it would ever go away and he couldn't even find it in himself to describe it… No matter how much he didn't like what had happened in that war, he was so, so glad that he hadn't hurt, or shot, Alfred. So extremely glad.

Flying Mint Bunny nudged him, almost causing him to jump. "Arthur?"

The Brit looked down at her and smiled ever so slightly, trying to be even the slightest bit reassuring. She could probably feel how distressed he was. "Yes, I'm alright." He assured softly.

Despite this, the bunny climbed onto his lap and lay in his hand. He was glad for the warmth and the company, though he knew the fairies were still only a few feet away. "Thank you…"

A sudden noise came from the counter, making him jump. "W-what is it?" He asked. After hearing himself, he mentally cursed. He didn't need to freak out like this… the danger was gone for the moment.

A fairy flew to the counter and hovered above whatever the thing was. He saw now that a light was illuminating some of the darkness. It was his phone. Oh… He supposed that made sense. She looked down at it, eyes narrowing. "It's from Ludwig." He couldn't place her tone. It was somewhere between suspicion, annoyance, and concern.

What would Ludwig be texting in the middle of the night? Or… what time was it?

He glanced at the clock. It was later, or maybe earlier, than he had thought. It was around five… something. Or four… His vision was still off, but the text wasn't that unusual. Sometimes the German would send everyone reminders very early in the morning for meetings, especially ones that he was hosting. "Could you tell me what it says?" He asked, feeling a bit embarrassed that he couldn't even get up to check it himself.

She nodded, smiling. "Of course," She descended and, after a few taps, she had opened the message. "He says… the meeting is canceled."

His eyebrows furrowed and a feeling entered his chest. It felt like everything was wrong. Ludwig never cancelled meetings… And now he realized that it had been some time since he had heard from anyone.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Matthew sighed softly, relieved. The sun had gone down around an hour ago, making the world colder as well as darker. He was glad Alfred had turned up the heat now, but also…

He glanced at his brother, smiling slightly. Alfred had finally fallen asleep before the sun had gone away. He was worried, but it hadn't taken too much coaxing, just Matthew saying that he would make sure if his brother was having any nightmares and would wake him up if he did. His brain had done the rest. The American looked peaceful now though and the Canadian kept checking every now and then just to make sure. The feeling had gone down ever so slightly. Hopefully it would not rise anytime soon…

He thought that he himself had drifted off at one point, but he was sure it hadn't been for long. Maybe ten minutes or so… But he had woken up soon enough, worried that Alfred would be hallucinating again or would be in the middle of seeing something extremely bad, but found that nothing had changed.

Kuma was still lying next to Alfred, one of his brother's hands resting on the bear's head, and he looked to be asleep as well. He almost wished he had his camera on hand.

He sat up, careful not to make any noise, and watched with caution as the bear shifted slightly. As soon as Kuma's eyes opened they shifted to him, watching carefully.

Matthew mouthed 'shh' and the bear nodded, looking at him like he was crazy to think he would even make a sound. His bear got up slowly though, not disturbing his brother, and walked silently into the kitchen.

He watched Kuma enter and the bear turned his head, mouthing back at him, 'hungry.' He was sure if Kuma could get the food himself, he would. If he left the cans closer to the ground he didn't doubt that he could get them, though he didn't think he would be able to break through them without cutting himself.

Matthew nodded and gave one last glance at Alfred. Still quiet. Thinking that he would have to be quick, he went into the still illuminated kitchen and reached once more for a can. He didn't think it was very good for Kuma to be eating this late, but he was knew his friend was hungry so… why not?

He got the can down and grabbed the can opener, trying to maneuver it as quietly as he could. Kuma watched him, almost apprehensive now, as he set the salmon on a plate and laid it out.

He paused and the feeling grew stronger. Uh oh. Biting his lip, Matthew hurried into the living room and leaned forward so he could see his brother. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Alfred had shifted, turning on his side, and he looked like he was mumbling something. His eyebrows were scrunched together and his fingers twitched every few seconds. His breathing wasn't calm anymore.

…really, he couldn't help but think. He had left the room for two minutes and now this happened?

He quickly made his way towards Alfred, staying quiet despite himself. He shook his brother's shoulder lightly, trying to be gentle even though he was almost panicked. The feeling made him so. It, along with his own worry, kept rising now that he could actually see what was going on. "Alfred," He whispered hurriedly, "Wake up. Al."

His brother groaned, his leg shifting so that it almost kicked empty air. He mumbled something different every now and then, but Matthew caught one that sounded very much like, "He'll come back."

"Alfred." He was starting to feel frantic now, though his voice was still no louder than a whisper. "Wake up!"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"Jamie, are you sure you're alright?"

The boy looked up from his food and nodded. "Yeah, mom. I'm fine." He knew she was worried. He had done nothing but pick at his food and he hadn't said much of anything during dinner. (It was late dinner, but he didn't have school the next day. She had gotten home late too and had said it was alright for him to stay up)

Not looking convinced, she pushed a bit of hair behind her ear and stood, walking until she was next to him, and kneeled down. She put a hand on his forehead once more, trying to feel for a fever.

Jamie was pretty sure he didn't have one. He just… didn't feel good. It wasn't necessarily a sick feeling, just… bad. He didn't feel hungry either.

She took her hand away, eyebrows furrowing. "Maybe it's a stomach bug…" She whispered, contemplating.

He shrugged slightly, doubting it but not wanting her to worry any more than she needed to. She was already so busy. He smiled a little wider, trying to make her feel better.

She smiled slightly back, shaking her head a little, and stood to walk back to her seat. Just as she was about to take a step they both heard someone walking down the stairs. They looked up just in time to see Sophie walking sleepily their way, a stuffed bunny in hand. She was wearing those polka dot pajamas she loved so much.

The brunet looked curiously at her and his mom spoke quietly, a gentle smile on her face, "Hi sweetheart."

His sister looked up, rubbing her eyes, and smiled a little at them. She looked groggy, but other than that she seemed fine. Maybe she had just heard them talking… Jamie's mother walked quietly over and knelt in front of her. "Is everything alright?"

Sophie nodded sleepily. "M'hmm…" She yawned and looked at her stomach, poking it with the same hand that held the bunny. "It's just… My tummy's not happy."

Jamie and his mom both looked at her worriedly, but for different reasons. "Do you feel sick?" His mother asked, her eyes narrowing in concern. Sophie shook her head slowly.

"No…" She answered. "It's just not happy."

Jamie immediately knew what she meant and he found himself shuddering. He was sure that his sister had the same feeling he did. The only difference was that it had just been… slower getting to her. It couldn't be from the stomach bug either. He had had that before. That had made him want to throw up and after he did it would feel better. This just kept growing.

He needed to tell Jack.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-turned to black. Then, suddenly, there was color... So much color that it was nearly unreal. Memories came from them, berated him, one after another. There were so many from so many days and weeks and months and years that he had lived and he could see them. He could feel everything in and from them. (And he wasn't even very old!)

The worst ones stuck out. Whenever one would come he felt like he had been punched or shot. It was hard for him to fight them. There were just so… so many. And he was tired and he wanted them to go away. 

Next he couldn't just see them. He could hear them. All of the gunshots and cannon booms and voices shouting… They told him what to do, they told him to get away, they told him that they hated him. Good sounds mixed too, like laughs and rivers and wind, but they were so loud with everything else that he didn't want them. He just wanted them to go away… 

And he tried to take them in, he really did, but they only filled his brain like he had lived them twice, three times over, and he thought his head was going to explode.

Then the voices mixed with familiar shouts, different from those in his memories. They were more violent than usual. They seemed to be screaming now instead of settling for the quieter yelling. He couldn't tell who was arguing or what it was about. His vision was blurry and lopsided. His memories stopped, but the noise was deafening now.

He couldn't tell where he was. It looked familiar, but he didn't want to recognize it. If he did it could start again… 

But they wouldn't stop… He found himself standing and his voice boomed, so much louder than all of theirs. 

Just like that, it stopped.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

His eyes opened and he immediately scooted backwards, sucking in a breath. He didn't know where he was. It was bright. It was blinding. His ears were ringing. He looked around frantically, trying to see, to hear, to do anything.

"Alfred, hey… Hey, it's okay."

The voice was familiar. It was quiet and he thanked whatever god there was for that. Then it hit him, much like the force of a hockey puck. It was Matthew.

Alfred's eyes started to get used to the light and more shapes became definite. His brother was in front of him, a worried expression on his face. ( The back part of his mind saw that he looked tired too. …Did he… had he said something about staying up…?) But how… What…

Matthew smiled sadly at him, helping him sit up for a moment. He could breathe a little better once was up. "This doesn't look like no nightmares to me, Al…" He sounded upset, but more regretful than anything.

The sound - his scream - hit him, along with the gravity of what he had been thinking. He vaguely hoped that Matt hadn't heard it… But… He knew how loud it had been, even if it had been in a dream.

He'd wanted it to stop no matter what the cost. He'd wanted to die in that one moment.

He felt like someone had kicked him in the chest. …And then proceeded to crush his windpipe. He was done… He was just done… He had been wondering how long it would take for this to happen. He thought he might make it longer, but after the hallucinations had set in, especially the one with his brother, he knew it would only be a matter of time. And would you look at that? He was right.

A hand was on his shoulder. Alfred glanced up. God, Matt looked like he was gonna cry… and that only made him feel worse. Had his brother heard it? Had he actually screamed?

He felt something on his face. He almost brought his hand up, but then he realized what it was. He was crying. He was too tired to try to stop the tears so he simply allowed them to come. They were almost a relief at this point.

The next thing he knew he was being pulled into an embrace, an arm going up and down his back. Matthew whispered quietly, saying again, "It's okay."

Alfred knew that there was a different meaning to the two. The first had been telling him that he was okay, that nothing could hurt him. This one was just saying that… Matt understood, like he always did. He knew that he had been through hell… He was saying it was alright for him to fall apart.

The American found his thoughts going back to that feeling, and the noise. He had really wanted someone to…

And he broke.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Jamie shut the door to his room as quietly as he could and ran to the window, swinging it open. He didn't know why he thought this would work… Maybe it was because this was where Jack had helped him believe when he was ready to give up, where he had first seen him and the guardian had first been seen by a child.

He looked out into the snow covered suburbs, feeling the wind rush into his room. He really, really hoped this would work… "Jack!" He called, albeit not very loudly. He knew that he couldn't make too much noise or his mom, or a neighbor would hear, but his voice was getting lost in the wind.

That was what he wanted. "Jack!" He tried again. The brunet waited for a few moments, looking either direction. He couldn't see anything but the snow flurries.

He tried several more times, hoping that he was at least annoying the guardian so he would come back and tell him to stop. He had no idea how to get Jack to come back. That wasn't how it worked. Jack was supposed to find them.

Jamie looked behind him, just to make sure his mom wasn't headed up to check on him. When he heard nothing other than the wind, which was both a relief and a disappointment, he kept going. "Jack!" Still no response of any sort.

He wasn't sure why he was so worried about this. It could just be because he didn't want Pitch to attack again (which he obviously didn't), but it felt like more than that. "Jack!" There was again no response. He sighed and bit his lip. He shouldn't shut the window... he should just wait for a bit.

The boy went back to his bed, sitting anxiously. With each minute that passed, he kept thinking that the guardian wouldn't show; that he was busy somewhere else and didn't have time. But just as he was about to get up, possibly to head to bed, he heard a tap.

Jamie's head shot up and he grinned when he saw the familiar face outside. "Jack!"

The guardian looked amused, hopping through the open window and shutting it tightly. He chuckled when he saw the drops of water on his floor that had been snowflakes only seconds ago. "You might not want it to snow in your house again, kiddo. Though I have to admit…" He glanced around. "Indoor snowball fights don't sound too bad."

He just laughed lightly in response. This was great! It worked!

Jack sat on the cushion near his windowsill and laid the staff in his lap, his smile shifting to a worried one. "So… what's so important?"

His eyes widened. "Oh! Um…" He realized that he had no idea how to explain it. That might have been good to think of before… "Um… Me and Sophie kinda…"

The guardian sat forward, curious now despite his worries, telling him to go on. His tone was a bit joking. "Uh huh? You break something?"

Jamie smiled slightly, raising an eyebrow, and shook his head. "No, no, everything's in one piece." He shifted a bit, thinking. "We kinda… have this feeling and… it's bad."

Jack's eyes narrowed. The brunet thought he might be angry for a moment, but he knew that wasn't so. He watched as his friend stood and twirled his staff, either worried or just thinking. "How bad…?"

"It's…" Despite himself he couldn't think of anything. He tried to find something to compare it to. "Do you know, um… When you walk around at night and you keep thinking someone is going to come out and scare you?"

Jack eyed him in surprise for a moment and he thought that he would have to come up with something else, but then the guardian nodded. "Yeah… I know the feeling." He returned to his sitting position by the window, unsure. "How long have you had it?"

"About…" He thought for a moment. "A couple of days. It's getting stronger…"

Jack looked at the ground in thought. His voice showed more if his worry when he asked, "Does it feel like it's going to come after you?"

Though Jamie could hear the silent, 'again' in his friend's sentence, he shook his head. "No… not really."

Jack looked relieved for a moment before he stood once more. He met Jamie's eyes, a grateful light in them. "Alright. I'll go tell them."

Jamie's eyes widened, almost surprised that the guardian had taken this feeling so seriously. …He really was just a kid after all. "Really?"

The guardian smiled, shrugging. "Yeah. Can never be too careful." He paused, the smile leaving as quickly as it had returned. "And if you're feeling something… I don't think it's nothing."

The brunet nodded. He stood as Jack opened the window again and snow was once again flitting into his room. "Tell me how it goes, okay?" He wanted news this time, as long as they could give it to him… and he really didn't want anything to happen to them, especially not after last time.

Jack looked back and smiled, hearing the unsaid words in his sentence. "Don't worry, Jamie. I'll be fine." When Jamie nodded he stepped out, hanging onto the window sill with one hand. The wind grew stronger, ready to pull him back. "If anything else happens, tell me okay?"

He smiled slightly, nodding. "Okay, Jack."

The guardian waved and jumped off the side of the house. Jamie went to the window to close it and heard a soft, "say hi to Sophie for me!"

He huffed softly, shaking his head as his smile widened. "Alright!" He called.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Matthew glanced at his brother. The two were now sitting at the kitchen table, a mug hot chocolate in front of them both. The drink was mostly untouched, though Alfred had wrapped his hands around his and seemed to be using it for warmth. His brother still looked tired, which he didn't think would change any time soon, and his blue eyes were very bloodshot, but he did seem better. He sat a little straighter and for the first time he seemed completely comfortable with his presence. It didn't make the Canadian think he had been infringing on something somehow.

Sensing his gaze, Alfred shifted. "Um…" Matthew watched in near amazement as a small, completely real smile formed on his twins face. He looked up, nodding towards him, and whispered with what was probably the most sincere voice he had ever heard him use, "Thank you."

The Canadian smiled in return. He didn't think anything of helping Al through a breakdown, but he knew that it meant the world to his brother. He answered in a similar tone, his voice showing that he was just happy to help in some way or another. "You're welcome."

Alfred shifted again, only slightly now, glancing from the table to him. "So… uh…"

Matthew rested his arms on the table and leaned forward. He knew where his brother was headed with the question. "You ready to talk about it?" He wanted Alfred to say something even if he wasn't, but he was patient.

After a few moments the American nodded. "Yeah…" He met his eyes again, smiling slightly. "I miss talking to you."

His smile widened. "I miss you telling me things." He continued, like they weren't discussing anything serious. He waited quietly for Alfred to gather his thoughts, though surprisingly it didn't take as long as he had suspected.

Alfred began slowly, testing his words. "It uh… I can't remember when it started." After the first few words were out he seemed a little more at ease with talking. "It feels like a long time ago, but… The first one was crazy." He paused for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing like he was trying to think back. "There were a lot of ghosts and monsters and… things. They didn't attack me. They just kind of… attacked other people." He shrugged slightly, averting his eyes. "I was taken to this building… a skyscraper and…" He trailed off.

Matthew knew that that was where things had started, with whatever was going on here. He opened his mouth, about to say that Alfred didn't have to tell him everything, when his brother said quickly,

"Arthur shot me."

He blinked along with Alfred, surprised, but said nothing. His brother glanced at him, unsure, but saw that he still wanted to listen. He continued slowly,

"um… he kinda… left me there. Then you showed up. You said you hated me." He knew that Alfred was shortening the events, that he had probably said much more than that, but he let his brother continue. "And you left me too. And then people yelled at me and called me… things… and that was it."

Matthew nodded slowly, taking in the information. He really didn't like what he was hearing and he was sure it would get worse. A few words popped into his mind and he decided to clear things up before they went on. "Alfred?"

His twin looked up, looking a little worried at what he might say. "Hmm?"

His face was serious when he said, "I won't say that to you." He added quietly in his thoughts, 'I know I yelled at you a lot once. Sorry about that… I was just really frustrated.'

Alfred nodded slowly and Matthew was pleasantly surprised when he thought back, 'It's alright…' That pleasantness faded quickly though when he continued, 'I kind of deserved it.'

Matthew shook his head, assuring, 'No, you didn't.' "And Arthur won't shoot you. I don't care how he might act, but he would never intentionally harm you, okay?" When Alfred nodded, he smiled softly. "So, what happened after that?"

"There've been a lot since then… I can't remember all of them… There were some with battles and some with meetings. The one from the other day was uh…" Alfred paused and shuddered.

He asked quietly, not wanting to voice it, 'What happened?'

"I um… I was… in a meeting. And you showed up…" He shifted, rubbing his arm. Matthew thought he saw his eyes tear up again. "I don't know what happened… It was normal, but… something was just wrong." He bit his lip.

"You don't have to say it if you don't want to, Al."

But Alfred looked up and watched him for a moment. The nearly sky blue eyes stared into his and thought something so clear Matthew wondered for a moment if he had spoken it. 'You died.'

The older twin stared for moment. He'd… died? Though he knew that the notion was impossible unless something big happened to his people and his country it still… The finality of the word was… What if that happened to Alfred? He knew it would happen at some point, as it did to everything, he blinked. He nearly shuddered at the thought himself, unsure what to say. He tried to find some words, but none popped into his mind and even when they searched for them they ran away.

Now that Alfred had started broadcasting his thoughts he continued to explain through them. They were rolling, hurried, though his expression was merely wide eyed. 'I tried to help! I really did matt, but you left and I didn't know where you were and then they kept telling me that I didn't have a brother, but I knew they were wrong and I went after you. I didn't get there fast enough! I'm sorry I really tried, but you were dead and then I saw you again and you were bleeding at breakfast and you said I would forget you and-'

'Al.'

'I didn't though-'

He took a deep breathe, his thoughts calm. 'Alfred.'

His brother stopped, blinking. 'Y-yeah?'

Matthew smiled, touched and almost honored that Alfred was so upset about this. He spoke quietly. "I didn't die." His smile shifted just a little, becoming reassuring. "I didn't die, Al." He said again, like the fact was as constant as the earth rotating. "I'm still right here and we can still goof off and play board games. That's not gonna change." Then, thinking it needed to be more permanent, he added, "I promise."

Alfred stared at him for a couple of moments and then a smile slowly made its way onto his face. That smile morphed into a grin and he said quietly, "Thank you, Matt."

He nodded, glad to see his brother smiling again, and took a drink of his hot chocolate. It wasn't hot anymore, but that was alright. He waited for a minute or two, wondering if Alfred was going to say anything about before.

His brothers smile fell suddenly (like a balloon deflating), his face serious now, and thought, 'Did you hear it…?'

After a moment he nodded slightly. 'Yeah.' He had heard them through his thoughts and for a moment it had made him fall backwards because of the sheer force they had been sent. He didn't think Alfred had ever sent anything that strong before, even if he hadn't meant to.

Alfred took a deep breathe, but overall he looked like he had expected it. 'Alright…' He was silent, probably expecting the Canadian to say something more on the subject. When no words came, he gave him a quizzical look.

Matthew shrugged slightly in response. He didn't want to get into it right now, especially with how tired Al was. His brother didn't need anything more. "I don't have a lot to say about it other than that if you think or feel like that again come talk to me. Please." He wasn't going to ask anything on what had been included in the nightmare itself. His brother would say if… A thought occurred to him. "Anything you want to tell me about it?"

Alfred shrugged slightly, looking at his drink as if it had become extremely interesting. 'I don't know…' He paused. 'It happened.'

He smiled sadly. He didn't think his brother had any other way to describe it right now other than the fact that it had, indeed, happened. Matthew could tell that he was thinking about it, though, and nodded. He thought softly, 'It was too much, wasn't it?' Whatever 'it' was. His brother looked up, slight surprise shining in his eyes. They dulled quickly, however, and he nodded.

'Yeah… it was.'

The Canadian stood quietly and pulled a chair next to his twin. Alfred looked at him questioningly and Matthew gave no response other than pulling him into a one armed hug and smiling fondly. He couldn't stand to see Alfred hurting, whatever way it might be in. 'If you have a nightmare again, come and get me. I don't care if you have to beat me with my own hockey stick to get me up.'

Alfred laughed and nodded, looking content that he didn't have to talk about it further, and took a sip of his cocoa. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, Matthew not removing his arm, until Kuma sat up. The bear seemed to know that their mood had changed and he seemed like he wanted to say something.

Both brothers looked at him curiously. His head turned towards Matthew, asking, "Can you get something from home?"

He blinked. "Um… home?" What would he need to get from home? He'd brought enough things, hadn't he?

Kuma nodded. "He-" He glanced at Alfred. "-is out of food for me. Roads are bad. Can you get some?"

"Uh…" He didn't think Alfred was out of food… but he could have grabbed the last can not too long ago. He hated to sound rude but… "Can't you eat something else?"

The bear stared at him for a moment, his face blank. Matthew wasn't sure what he wanted him to do until the bear asked,

"What if there's a snow storm?"

Oh… He hadn't thought about that. He glanced at his brother, who looked apprehensive suddenly. "How long had it been since you went to the store?"

Alfred shrugged. "I don't know… it was before all of this started." He sounded reluctant to admit the fact.

Matthew hummed. "Would it be alright if I went to grab some things from my place? It wouldn't be long, maybe a few minutes." He would use nation travel. Kuma was right; the roads were pretty bad. He could drive them, but it would take much longer than he needed.

The American looked at him, unsure. He knew this was different than how Alfred would act if he hadn't seen him having a nightmare. Alfred would have merely shrugged it off and said that it was fine, though he might argue with him a bit. Now it was different. He remembered when his brother was little and had done this. It had been after Arthur had left them to go somewhere else and Alfred had wanted company so that he wouldn't be alone in the huge house. (He had been particularly adamant after scary stories, not even wanting him to leave the room) This was much like the case now.

He smiled. "It won't take long Al. I promise." He motioned towards the bear on the floor. "Kuma's gonna be here so you'll be fine." Though Kuma was a small bear, they both knew he would take down, or at least try to take down, any intruder. (They would probably be stunned for a moment when they discovered Kuma was a polar bear so it was possible)Alfred didn't look very appeased. "Just turn the TV on for five minutes. Talk to Kuma for a little. You can text me the whole time if you want."

Alfred nodded slowly. "Okay… Just be careful."

He nodded back. "Aren't I always?" When his brother smiled slightly, Matthew laughed softly. "Alright, don't answer that. Maybe I'm not always…" He left the kitchen and entered the living room, grabbing his phone, a bag, and slipped on his shoes. He checked the device, expecting to see nothing but the time, and was surprised to see a message.

"Hey." He called, feeling relieved. "Ludwig texted. He said the meeting for today is cancelled."

"There was a meeting today?"

He nodded, having forgotten all about it as well. But it wasn't going on anymore and that was good for them. The Canadian walked to the door, waving when Alfred peeked through the hollow entrance to the kitchen. "Be back in five. Maybe ten."

Alfred tried to give him a smile in return, but he still looked nervous.

'You'll be fine. I'll be fine.' He thought, reluctantly leaving the house and shutting the door behind him. When the wind hit he was glad he had put a sweater on earlier. It was late so obviously it was colder. He glanced back. He really, really didn't want to leave Al by himself, especially with what had just happened, but he would be back in no time at all. He quickly closed his eyes and thought of his house, its surrounding, where it was, and took a step. For a few moments he felt the world shift around him. His stomach dropped and he thought his ears may have popped, but then a moment later it stopped and he was standing on familiar ground.

He opened his eyes, smiling slightly when he saw the house in front of him. It was about as big as Alfred's, though a little roomier, and now it was covered in snow. He looked down at his feet, which had now sunken into the white. "That's great…"

Thankfully his door hadn't been covered (though he couldn't say the same for his windows). Matthew waded through, lifting his feet out and back into the banks of snow, ignoring the cold. Once he reached the door he quickly unlocked it and entered.

His house hadn't changed since he had left it, which he was glad to see. His things were untouched. When the silence of the place hit him he felt a little unnerved, but went on anyway. He turned on the lights, allowing the brightness to fill the living room. His phone vibrated in his hand and he lifted it, a text now showing that read,

'You make it okay?'

The sentence also came into his mind as a thought, which was not difficult for them to do even at large distances. Smiling to himself, Matthew replied, 'Yeah, I'm in. Be back as soon as I get the food.'

He walked into the kitchen, flicking on a light. Okay… in the cabinets. The Canadian opened the one he knew the bear's food was in. It was nearly full (he had stocked up before winter had fully hit) and he grabbed most of them, putting them in his bag. He didn't know how long he would be at his brothers. With that done, he grabbed food for him and Alfred in case they really did get snowed in.

He thought that he might need clothes, but he supposed if he ran out of clean ones he could just borrow some of Al's until he got his cleaned.

A light flickered. Matthew paused, looking at it warily. Paranoid thoughts shot through his mind that he hoped Alfred wouldn't receive, ones that mainly involved almost every horror movie indicating a flickering light. Hopefully there wouldn't be a power outage…

A thought occurred to him. What if Alfred's house had a power outage while he was gone? Shit… He checked his phone. No messages. Okay, good. That was good… Alfred would have texted or called if that happened, not to mention all of the frantic thoughts he would receive.

He went towards the door, but just as he was about to leave, he paused. He thought he felt… something. It was in his house… Then, after a short pause, heard them again; footsteps. They were the same as last time, as cold and hollow. He had practically forgotten about them until now. His blood ran cold when they continued, almost like they were coming closer. It could never just be nothing, could it?

He thought he saw (of course he saw) a shadow down the hallway leading towards his room. He wasn't stupid enough to go near it. Instead, he started quickly towards the door, trying to be as quiet as possible.

That failed miserably when he tripped, falling over a box and onto the floor. He cursed softly, the contents of the box scattering out. He was about to try and get up, but suddenly the presence had gone. He looked around, relieved but shocked.

A light come from his phone. He checked it again, eyes looking over the screen. Alfred was calling him.

Matthew stood slowly and took a deep breath before answering. Before he could talk Alfred asked, worry in his voice.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, looking around again. "Yeah… yeah, I'm fine."

"Really?" He sounded a little calmer now. Matthew knew being able to hear him helped.

Oh, right… the feeling had probably snuck up on him and now he was freaking out… that made sense. "Yeah, I have everything. I'll be back in a minute." He heard Alfred nod. 'Everything's fine, Alfie.'

'Okay…' He sighed, whispering an almost embarrassed, "Sorry," before hanging up.

Matthew put the phone away and checked the contents of the box. It was mainly miscellaneous things, but one caught his eye. It was a dream catcher, one that he could vaguely remember making. Eyebrows furrowing, he picked it up, pushing the presence into another category of his mind to worry about.

It couldn't be that simple… could it?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Jack zipped through the air, pausing once he had reached a cross point for various winds that he rode on. He had never called any of the guardians before. He'd never had a reason to, but now… if he was going to do it, this is what he had decided to go with. They should know it was him…

He turned to each set, though they mixed with one another, and directed them in a certain direction. He had no idea where some of the guardians were at, like sandy, but he hoped that they would reach them.

He made them stronger, feeling them nearly try and whip him in another direction, and sent them on their way. It was, or at least should be, fairly simple. The wind would find the other guardians and shift suddenly(hopefully right by their ears so they could catch it and know it was him) to tell them that something was off.

When he had told them about it he had said that they could just meet at North's place, as that was what they had done last time.

Once he was sure each wind was on the correct course he too set out. He needed to get there as soon as he could.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kuma looked up at him, tilting his head. "He's fine." The bear stated, like it was obvious.

Alfred nodded, tapping his fingers. "I know that. I'm just worried, okay?" He needed Matt to come back, to not be dead or anything. He had been paranoid before, silently, but now it was a million times worse. He had talked about it now and he was sure that it could happen.

But Matt was on his way home. He had said so. He was just fine and he was coming back. Even though they were no longer on the phone he could hear his brother thinking to him, telling him one thing or another to try and help.

There was a tap on his leg. He looked down to see the bear was nudging him. "Don't worry." He said.

Huffing, he picked Kuma up, setting him in his lap. He didn't seem very weirded out by it, merely looking up at his face.

"Tell me about something." The bear suggested. Alfred wondered if he did this often with Matt. "What's your favorite game?"

The American paused, looking at the bear oddly. "What?" He heard Matt's voice, 'Almost in the drive way. I'm soaked.'

"What's your favorite game?" He repeated. "Is it a video game or a board game?"

The question actually caused Alfred to stop and think. He wasn't sure. His brain sluggishly tried to switch topics from his worrying and pull up all of the different games he had played. "Uh… I think it's…" Man, he really didn't know. He loved playing video games, but there were so many different kinds…. And he loved board games but the problem was the same. "Um… maybe…"

Kuma looked very satisfied with himself as he continued to look at him, waiting for an answer. He looked like he had won a prize.

A moment later the door opened. Matt stepped in, wet from the snow, his pant legs completely drenched. He had not been kidding in the slightest. Alfred sighed in relief when his brother walked into the kitchen, his pant legs rolled up now, though something seemed a little different.

"Everything go okay?" He found himself asking, still nervous. He was pretty sure he had had the feeling not too long ago… He didn't think that was a hallucination.

Matthew nodded, setting the bag down. "Yeah, I brought a lot of food." He grabbed numerous cans and set them on the counter as well as taking random food items and putting them in the fridge.

Alfred wasn't sure why (maybe it had been the feeling. Maybe it was something else) but he didn't quite believe him. His brain suddenly stopped for a moment, though, not having the distraction of thinking hard about something anymore. It felt like it was trying, and failing, to reboot. "Really?" He got out, knowing his voice sounded tired.

His brother nodded again, a little distracted. "Thought I saw something…"

"Did it uh…" He tried to think of words to describe things with, but they eluded him. "Was it…" He couldn't even form a sentence. Brain… work.

Matthew smiled slightly. "It was a just a shadow." He assured, putting the last of the food away.

"Oh… okay. Just um… if it wasn't then…" Matthew nodded, knowing what he was trying to say. If it wasn't a shadow then tell him. He saw something in his brother's hand. It looked like it had feathers on it. "What is that..?"

Matthew pulled up the item and it twirled slightly. Was it… yeah, it was on string. "It's a dream catcher." He explained simply.

Alfred blinked, his mind going blank again for a moment before knowledge of the thing filled his head. "Oh, that." He looked at it, wondering, but wary as well. "…What do you have it for?"

His brother shrugged. "I thought we could at least give it a shot. It catches nightmares, remember?"

He nodded slowly, reluctant. "Yeah…" He did remember that. "But what if it doesn't work?" He didn't want to have another nightmare, whatever it would be about.

Matthew sat in front in the chair in front of him. He held the dream catcher out, letting him look it over. "Let's just try. You're the one who always says you have to try something once before you know."

Yeah… he did say that didn't he?

"We can camp out like we used to." His brother tried to appease, his tone hopeful. "It can be like when we were little."

He remembered those times. They would make a fort in Arthur's living room or in their room and wouldn't allow him in. Even when they had gotten older they still did it. The thought made him smile. "…okay." He agreed. "Can we build a fort still?"

Matthew chuckled softly and nodded. "If you want to, Al."


	8. Chapter 8

The wind whipped in in his face and pushed him back, a little different than how his friend would usually allow him to meld with the currents. He went with it instead of trying to make or ask it work with him, allowing the force to send him backwards a few yards, and then dipped into a familiar crevice. It was easy from there. Jack wormed his way around, the wind steadying now, and North's home came into view. As always, it was covered in white and ice, though it was a bit foggy at the moment. Ice pellets blasted his face the closer he came, though he could hardly feel them.

He didn't try to fight back his smile despite the reason he was so far north in the first place, thinking of his encounter with Bunnymund the first time he had been allowed into the place. Not the most pleasant experience he'd had, but still. Bunny wouldn't like this weather, as he hardly ever did. He wondered if North had put in a way for the rabbit through his tunnels. It was definitely possible. But really, who knew what North had invented since he had last arrived (though it hadn't been that long ago). The Russian man created things nearly nonstop, even if Christmas was months away.

The near palace like building was growing closer. Jack dove upwards and not a second after the yetis came into sight on the snow covered bridge that was dripping with icicles. They, only looking to be white blobs for here, seemed to be turning towards him. He could hear them talking, their grunts reaching him as whispers through the wind. Alright, almost there… Almost there.

He and the wind shifted as one, closing in on the bridge. He then slowed, just enough to where he could land. Not a moment later his feet settled on the icy bricks and started walking, the Yetis looking somewhat surprised by presence. They didn't expect another visit so soon.

He smiled and nodded towards them, giving a friendly wave. "Hey guys. Long time no see."

One of them grunted louder than the others. Jack's eyes widened and he grinned. He could still have a little fun before things grew too serious. Turning to the particular Yeti, he greeted, "Hey, Phil. Glad I don't have to break in anymore, right?"

The yeti nodded, half glaring at him. 'You're glad.' He seemed to be saying. 'You never got in before we let you.'

"Yeah, yeah." The winter spirit could see a tad bit of guilt in the other's expression. Phil knew he had been lonely in those years of course, trying to sneak through North's hardly laughable security, but he didn't hold it against the yeti. The guy was only doing his job. So he simply rolled his eyes and motioned towards the door. When Phil nodded, along with a few other yetis, he took the initiative to enter. They would have alerted him if North was busy, though knowing him he was always, almost literally, working on something.

The guardian opened the giant doors and quickly shut them before too much snow could billow in. No need for any unnecessary slips or falls (yet.) A jingling noise came from behind him along with the soft padding of feet. Jack turned and smiled slightly at the elves, which were running towards him. They grinned, one or two with something in hand; a toy or a half-finished project they had paused in making upon the winter spirit's arrival. One had a trumpet, though he hoped the little guy wouldn't blare it. (Though it did make great use as an alarm clock for Bunny when he was staying at the pole…)

"Hey." He greeted. His icy blue eyes scanned the surrounding hall, which led to the main workshop area that held the globe, but saw no glimpse of anyone else. That is, other than the toymakers. He had hoped they would be here… but he supposed that they could be somewhere else in the workshop. It was surely large enough. "Do you know where I can find North?"

The elves, three in all, looked between each other. Then, simultaneously, they pointed and it was not in the same direction. One pointed up, towards the higher floors (though more to the second floor in particular), another towards the Globe Room, and the last towards the ceiling. They smiled at him, their bells jingling from one side to the other in an almost pleasing way.

Jack nodded, twirling his crook once in thought. "Okay, thanks." One of them had to be pointing in the right direction.

They nodded happily, though one elf's bell hit another. He smiled and shook his head, continuing his walk as the elf with the trumpet smacked the other. When he entered the globe room his eyes found the globe, spinning slowly in the center. The lights were still bright and shining, like stars, and he saw no sign of them going out. If anything there were more believers, some of which he was undeniably proud to call his own. The image made him almost sigh with relief. That was good. That was really good.

It meant that Pitch hadn't gotten to the children yet. He hadn't gotten enough power to do so, hopefully, and they were still ahead of the game.

He spotted the Yetis next. Their heads had turned towards him from their stations, curious. He gave them no response other than a careless smile, like he had only wandered in. Soon enough they had gone back to their work, some shrugging, most not interested because they had to accomplish whatever they were doing to keep on schedule. One not far away continued to watch him intently, however, and motioned upwards to the second floor. Jack nodded in thanks and quickly climbed the stairs. It occurred to him he could fly, but, for once, he felt like taking his time. He watched a few toys intently, some in the atmosphere and others on desks. When he reached the top he saw the room the yeti had directed him to.

Ah, North was in his personal workshop again. That, too, brought back memories of his first time here. That was both a good and a bad thing, he supposed. Good because the memories were not bad in themselves, but they, and the reason he had returned now, held bad news.

The door was halfway open (he supposed North was expecting him) and he could hear the man moving within the room. When he reached the doorway he thought about knocking, but decided against it and instead merely walked inside. North was working on one of his ice… prototypes? After a few shifting glances a smile formed and he greeted, his voice light, "Hey, North."

The man sat straighter and then turned. When the blue eyes found his, he smiled, though his guard wasn't down. He had gotten his message then. That reassured him a little, as he had been unsure if it would work. "Hello, Jack." He stood suddenly and walked towards the youngest guardian, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Is great to see you."

He nodded and stepped further aside, his smile widening. "You too." He got a better look at the frozen creations. They always varied, though there was more this time than the last. Every time he saw them, as North did completely live up to his title, he couldn't help but stare in- you guessed it- wonder. The prototypes for toys always amazed him and he knew for a fact that the children would have so much fun with them.

North followed his gaze. He smiled almost sheepishly, shrugging. "I make them when I am nervous." The look on his face also seemed to say, 'And when I'm not.' He explained, almost seeming like he was trying to defend himself. He then looked towards Jack and smirked lightly. "Is great for rush near Christmas."

Jack nodded, smiling. "You'll have to make them work later." He was curious to see what the wonder filled man had concocted this time around, though a few were already hovering above the desk. He was able to spot a small flying car and a completely decked out rocket ship that he would absolutely love to "test". "But first…" He looked around again, reminded that he had to tell the others of possible impending doom. "Are the others here?"

North shook his head. "No, not yet. They all got message, though. Bunny is on his way and so is Sandy. Tooth had to finish runs."

"Okay." At least they were on their way… It wasn't exactly like last time, though he wasn't sure why he had nearly expected it to be. Pitch wouldn't take the same route if he really had come back. And he trusted whatever Jamie was feeling, even if he didn't want to, so he was sure Pitch would need to be taken care of again. He hoped the others would, too. Just to be safe at the very least.

Part of him didn't blame the Boogeyman, however. He knew what it was like to be alone and left in the dark. One more wrong turn and who knows? He might have turned out the same. He had to admit that only one thing about Pitch's possible return surprised him; its quickness. The Nightmare king was only starting to make a comeback (if it really was him. He was fairly sure, however.) after three years. When he thought about it, it made sense. Pitch had gotten a taste of what it was like to be believed in, to be seen, again. Even if he was a bit… dark, the guy had been alone for centuries, maybe even millenia, and he knew what it was like to go to desperate measures to get any kind of attention.

"So…" North's voice interrupted his inner thoughts, glanced around, obviously trying to find something. After a moment his eyebrows furrowed. He obviously couldn't find what he was looking for. Instead of doing what he had most likely intended, he motioned towards a shorted stack of ice. "I have no chair… Is ice good for you?"

Jack snorted, his typical mischievous grin returning. "Ice? For Jack Frost? Nah." He made his way to the blocks and plopped down, not feeling very uncomfortable. He waited.

North's expression became serious as he faced him. "What is problem, Jack?" His voice was unsure, if slightly wary. None of them wanted a repeat of the last time, even if it had made them stronger in the end.

He paused, understanding Jamie's uncertainty in how to explain it to him. He wasn't sure himself, especially when the feeling wasn't his own. "Well…" His eyebrows furrowed. He could explain it twice; once now and another time when everyone had arrived. It would give him a chance to phrase it correctly. "There's this… feeling that Jamie has." That… sounded stupid. It made the reason for coming here seem insignificant… but feelings could tell you a lot.

"A feeling?" North sat forward, listening intently. "What did he say about it?"

Jack's lips twitched upwards. Right… North was the one that 'went with his belly'. He would understand what he was talking about, hopefully. He thought of what Jamie had described it as. "He said… that it was like when you were waiting and you thought that someone would jump out at you." He supposed that was how one could describe paranoia, but so suddenly after a few years? No. "He thinks it has something to do with Pitch." He paused and added, "I think so too."

North was silent for a couple of moments, deep in thought. Then, slowly, he nodded, making Jack nearly sigh in relief. "I don't want to believe it, but I do. Jamie is good with this kind of thing…" He met his eyes, a small curious light in them. "Do you have that feeling as well, or is it something else?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but realized that he wasn't sure. Something just seemed… off. He had seen someone he was sure he had recognized and… with Jamie's feeling included it was too weird. "There's something…" He thought about explaining it, but couldn't figure out how, even in his head.

North nodded, clapping his hands onto his knees. "Tell you what?" He stood, smiling. "Why don't you tell me when they are all here? Then you can sort out." When Jack nodded, the man grinned. "Good." he clapped his hands together. "Now…" He turned and a yeti appeared in the doorway. It spoke and after a few noises that the winter spirit could vaguely understand North nodded. He turned his head towards him, seeming slightly antsy. Or maybe exited was a better word. "I need to help them with something. Will be back." He started to leave, but looked back at the last second. "Oh! Remember, soon. You can explain when Tooth has arrived."

Alright, so he was pretty sure he had plenty of time… Even if the fairy moved unbelievably fast, she would still stop to collect a few more teeth.

He nodded. "Got it." The older guardian exited, leaving him to himself. He had time to think, so…

He might as well try and get it sorted out. Though, looking around the room, North's office didn't seem like the right place. He stood, walked out of the room, and began walking aimlessly down the halls. Or maybe it was only aimless to one who didn't know where he was headed. The Guardian turned down another hallway after making a half circle from North's workshop, not bothered by the noise coming from below, though he couldn't help but watch as a few new toys fluttered in the air above him. He glanced away as he grew closer to the window near the end of the hall, the light seeming brighter shifting through it as it gleamed off the snow. He smiled slightly and turned to his right, opening the door that North always left unlocked.

Jack walked calmly inside, placing his crook against the nearby dresser, and then jumped onto his bed. He still couldn't believe he had his own room sometimes… As he glanced around at the icy blue walls, which were now covered in a light frost at his presence, and the snowflakes that seemed to glow on the ceiling, he gave a wide smile to no one. After Pitch's defeat a few years ago- three, he knew- the Guardians had all tried their best to make up for… well, to make up for leaving him alone for three hundred years; ignoring him. They were doing a really, really, good job too. He forgave them and he had told them that, but he knew that they weren't done trying. He was glad for that.

Wind knocked against his window and his eyes shifted. He waved at the large window towards his invisible companion before he remembered what he had come in the room for. Right…

The guardian's eyes shut and he began trying to work through the memories he had gained. Alright… It was… it had be somewhere in here. There was some reason that guy had felt familiar. He brought up the man's face, his feature's that had been so prominent like that weird hair that stuck off of his head and eyes that seemed really… old. Something twinged in the back of his mind, like an itch. He went in order. It had been before… no… no, it had been after he had saved his sister. After… hadn't it?

His eyebrows furrowed. The memories after that point were blurry. Well, not exactly blurry, but… He remembered, would always remember, when he first woke up. He would always remember the light of the moon as it chased away the darkness and when he had first made frost spread across the trees and when he had flown with the Wind. He would never forget the first time someone had walked through him, the first time his voice reached no ears but his own.

The itch grew stronger. He put himself in those surroundings again. He had been where he had grown up. He thought he could see his sister standing by the fire (how long had he been in the ice before the Man in the Moon saved him?) and saw adults standing around chatting about one thing or another. The edges of the scene were blurry, shifting, almost faded. Nothing clicked.

Jack sighed and opened his eyes. He would have to try again when he actually saw the guy. Maybe he could get a clearer picture.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The house was silent. It wasn't an unnerving kind of silence, but… peaceful. It enveloped every room in the house and he took it in, sleep still filling his brain. He could feel the blankets around him, but he tried not to notice them fully, or his brain would only continue to wake.

Matthew lay there (and he was vaguely aware that 'there' was blankets spread across his brother's living room floor) and listened. The slight hum of the heater hit his ears, not far away. It was merely background noise now, a precedent to the fact that there was no noise.

Then, he became aware of breathing. It was close, just next to him. And, his mind deciphered, it was slow; peaceful like their surroundings.

His purple eyes slowly opened, blinked, and shifted to his left. Alfred was lying next to him, a leg or an arm sprawled in an unknown direction. His brother's face was calm and it showed no signs of bad dreams. He might even say that the circles beneath his eyes had receded, if only slightly.

Matthew let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and smiled softly, relieved. He returned his gaze to the ceiling, or what would have been the ceiling if they hadn't created something to block it. He remembered making the fort with Alfred last night. It had been fun, though their work was sloppy, and had brought up better memories. He couldn't help but admire their creation.

The roof, as it could be called, was made of several pillows and couch cushions that they had somehow bent to their will, making them lean on one another. It was almost the way a house roof would be shaped… But then, at some point, they hadn't needed any existing layout to tell them how to make their little place. They had thrown those away and added blankets, several layers, on top. The blankets fell over the sides of the fort, where more, studier, couch cushions had been placed. Somehow Alfred, even in his sleep deprived state, had been able to add pieces of his own; a small opening in the front (or back. He wasn't positive) made from small pillows and the leftover blankets. He had also, for a reason unknown to Matthew, found four pole like… He wasn't sure what they were. They were almost like tent rods. He had put them around their fort with one on each corner and each tip (where the exits might be), making the area look almost like oval.

Then, to probably make it look more elaborate, Alfred had put a blanket over the poles (which had somehow stayed upright) to make their fort look similar to a tent.

Really, it was something one would probably expect to be built from them; imaginative, defying logic with how it was able to keep standing (while somehow sturdy at the same time- he supposed it was sort of like Alfred), and much more complex than needed.

Matthew smiled. Now that his brain had fully registered the world around him he noticed someone else's breaths. He sat up slightly and saw Kuma lying near his feet, fast asleep. Apparently that little entrance had been useful…

The Canadian turned his head, looking again at Alfred. He was still peaceful and, despite being paranoid, he really did not see any signs that indicated a nightmare. His eyes rose, meeting the dream catcher that was twirling just above his brother's head. He wasn't sure why he had let it hang so close, but it seemed… right; like it would protect him. And looking at the results, it seemed like it had done its job.

For a moment he wondered if he should take it down, but the idea dismissed itself as soon as it had come. No, he thought, that didn't seem right either. It wouldn't go down until his brother was awake.

He pulled himself up further as quietly as possible. He didn't want to wake up either of the two inhabitants of the house. His brain wandered. Should he make something for breakfast or just stay here? Would he wake Alfred if he tried to leave? What time was it?

At the last question he turned his head to the area he knew the windows were located. Sun shined through, though it was dulled by the blankets and the cushions around them, and casted several different colors over them. After a moment he shrugged to himself. He could just wait here. It wasn't worth the risk of waking Al up.

He was about to lay back down, his head almost on the pillow, when something caught his eye. He squinted slightly, looking at the dream catcher again. It looked like it was… sparkling or… glittering. What…

Matthew reached above his brother's head, the blankets shifting only slightly, and gingerly fingered the item that seemed to have magical qualities (if it had blocked off the nightmares, why wouldn't it be?). His eyebrow's furrowed, moving his face closer to the web. What the…

Inside the web, from the very center where the orb lay to near the sparced outer area, it was covered. Dark, black, spots enveloped the string, clumping together in numerous areas. It glittered in the sunlight and a few specks seemed to turn almost golden. The center seemed to be where most of it had… gotten stuck?

Despite the fact that it was now illuminated that gave him no hints as to what it could be. He raised a hand and, almost hesitantly, took some of the black stuff in his fingers. He gingerly rubbed it together between his pointer and his thumb. It almost felt like… sand. But where had…?

There was a knock on the door; quiet while at the same time extremely loud. The house had been in near silence and now it all seemed amplified.

Matthew jumped and let go of the dream catcher, allowing it to fall its original position of floating just above Alfred's head. His eyes moved quickly to his brother, checking to see if he was awake. To his relief he wasn't, still no signs to be found.

Kuma opened his eyes and met his, opening his mouth to say something. Matthew shook his head and glanced at Alfred. The bear's gaze followed and he nodded mutely, understanding.

The knock came again, louder this time.

The Canadian cursed silently and as quietly and quickly as he could, tried to get out of their fort. It took longer than he wanted, as he had to keep from accidentally stepping on his brother or hit one of the "walls" and he also had to somehow find his glasses. The fort had been big, enough for even them to lay in it and not knock it down if the moved in their sleep, but it still had its restraints. He lifted the blanked on one of the exits and slipped out, making sure to set the thick fabric down slowly as not to knock a pole down.

To his annoyance and frustration the knock came again. It was hurried now, though he had no idea why. Matthew stood and made his way to the door. He didn't waste any time in checking who it was beforehand. That would only give whoever was knocking another chance to wake his brother up.

He pulled open the door and blinked in surprise when he saw who lay behind it. "…Arthur?"

The man looked… different. He wasn't sure what it was that told him that. He seemed fine enough, not looking anywhere near as bad as Alfred when he had arrived here. But… there was something about the way he stood. It was guarded, and in a different kind of way than he was normally.

The Brit shifted slightly and nodded, the emerald eyes meeting his own. They were different than the way he was standing; worried. "Yes… I apologize for not calling ahead, but…" He trailed off and shrugged slightly, glancing past the door. This was unlike him. "May I come in?"

Matthew nodded and moved out of the way. It was unusual, but it was freezing outside. He wasn't going to let Arthur stand out there longer than needed. "Sure." It wasn't his house anyway. Though… He glanced behind him at the fort, where the owner slept. Or hopefully was still asleep. There wasn't an movement so he assumed so.

Arthur walked past him, into the house, and he shut the door behind him. Kuma had walked out of the fort, which the Englishman was eyeing oddly.

He opened his mouth to, hopefully, explain, but before a word could come out his brother's leg poked out from the blankets near them. The sound of him yawning hit their ears. "Mornin' Matt. I actually got some sleep last night, bro." His voice was lighter, for the first time in what seemed like… forever. Moments later the blanket was drawn back and Alfred appeared, pulling himself out, though not standing up. He rubbed an eye, dark bags still under it, the other opening. It swerved upwards, presumably trying to find him. "I guess it work-"

The other eye opened as Alfred let his hand fall and found Arthur. His expression morphed, becoming frantic. "No, nuh uh, what is he doing here?" He tried to get up, pushing against the carpeted floor for support, though he wobbled slightly.

Arthur blinked, confused. He tried to speak, though he was only able to get a few words in. "Lad, I-"

Alfred shook his head and was finally able to get himself up. He backed up slightly, his eyes slightly distant. "No way. You aren't staying here." One of his hands was making its way to his stomach.

For a moment, Matthew thought he was having another hallucination. But this was different… And if it was a hallucination it was manifesting itself in a different way. He moved forward, speaking calmly. "Al, it's okay. Arthurs not going to-"

His brother blinked slowly and he turned to face him, his eyes wide. He moved one of his arms in a wide gesture towards the Englishman, trying to make him understand. Every few seconds he glanced at Arthur, like he was afraid something might happen. His arm was gripping his stomach now. "But he shot me, Matt. He shot me!" As soon as he said it his eyes widened and his eyes flicked down to look at his side, he could actually feel a wound there. They flicked back up just as fast and he made a small, nearly pained, noise.

Matthew tried to calm him down. He felt frantic himself at the look on Alfred's face. "Al-" Arthur interrupted. Oh for the love of- He turned, but paused when he saw the other's face. He was pale, standing still as the poles they had used for their fort.

His voice was quiet when he spoke; shocked. But it wasn't only that. It was dreading and… afraid? "…What?" He breathed.

The Canadian's eyebrows furrowed. He glanced between his brother and the Englishman, unsure as to why Arthur was acting this way. "It was just a dre-" No, it-

"No it wasn't!" Alfred cut in, his voice near panicked now, and finished his thought. His voice never rose to a yell, but it was beginning to hint at it. "He shot me, Matt! Get him out!" He looked between his hand and Arthur, repeating the request, or demand, in a hurried whisper. "Get him out."

Arthur spoke now, in response to what he had been trying to say. Though what he said didn't exactly make sense. "Did I actually do that…?"

Matthew shook his head, thoroughly confused. He knew what Alfred was talking about at least, but Arthur… "No, of course not." What was he talking about? "It was a dream-" Nightmare. "-of his. You didn't actually…" Alfred gave a clipped groan and he turned his head, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder. His mind was rushing, trying to figure out exactly what to do while at the same time trying to decipher what was wrong. "Al. Al, look at me." His brother raised his head, showing him that he had his full attention. Well, maybe not full, but… "C'mon. To the couch."

As they were moving, Alfred following him, he heard Arthur whisper quietly (and probably more to himself), "But I did in… what the hell…"

His mind couldn't wrap around the words so he took it upon himself to work on the problem at hand. Alfred sat on the couch, still clutching his side. An image entered his mind; one of Alfred kneeling, in whatever dark building he had been trapped in, with his hand as it was now. He imagined him with blood pooling around him and, though the thought chilled him to the bone, dying. He breathed in sharply and quickly shook his head to dismiss the image into the far reaches of his mind. Yup, he never wanted to see that again. After a moment Matthew knelt so that he and his brother were at eye level. His voice was steady, hoping that that would calm his twin. "Alfred, everything is okay." He smiled reassuringly. "That was just a-" He couldn't, shouldn't, call it a dream. Especially not after the night before. "-nightmare, remember? You told me that last night."

Alfred shook his head slightly. "But Mattie, he left me in the… in the building." He stopped and blinked, his eyebrow's furrowed. His voice was soft and unsure, though part of it sounded betrayed. "You did too…" He sounded so much like when he was younger, when they were both children, that the Canadian momentarily couldn't form a word. The moment ended as quickly as it came.

And here he thought that sleep would actually help with the situation. "Al, I told you that I would never do that." His brother's memory probably wasn't the best right now, though… "I said I wouldn't. And I mean that."

After a few moments of Alfred trying to take actual, deep, breaths, he nodded slowly. "O…okay…"

All right, now they were getting somewhere. "And what'd I say about Arthur?" He said just above a whisper, trying not to let Alfred's eyes skim over to his, their, former guardian. 'He…'

His brother picked up on the hanging sentence. He bit his lip, phrasing it almost as if it were a question, "He- he would never… intentionally hurt me…?"

He nodded, smiling slightly. "Exactly."

Alfred turned towards Arthur, the panic leaving him. He relaxed slightly, though he did look embarrassed. "Sorry…" He mumbled. "I kind of…" He trailed off and laughed softly, though it wasn't humorous, and said in a lighter tone as he finally looked at the Brit, "It's been a tough week, man."

Arthur nodded slowly, shock still showing in his emerald eyes. "Yes…" He shook his head, almost like Matthew had done a moment ago, and walked closer. When he saw that Alfred didn't react, he moved to the far edge of the couch, though he didn't sit. He had left the middle open for Matthew.

The Canadian nodded in thanks and sat next to his brother. Both looked at the Englishman curiously. "So, um…" He began, not sure what to start with.

"What're you doing here?" Alfred finished, leaning forward. He smiled slightly, seeing how that might sound rude. "Not that it's not nice to see you and all, but…"

Arthur nodded, noticing Kuma as the bear walked towards him. "Yes, well, I was…" He looked unsure of how to phrase the sentence. After a moment he continued, almost weighing his words. "Some odd things have been going on and… I wanted to make sure the both of you were alright. Did you get Ludwig's message?"

Matthew nodded, though he knew the meaning behind what Arthur had said. The Englishman hadn't known that he was here. He had come because he was worried about Alfred. There could have been a possibility that he thought he could have been here too, but that was doubtful. Still, he appreciated it, even if the concern wasn't for him. Al really needed it right now. "Yeah, we got it." He wasn't sure where this conversation was going.

Alfred exchanged a glance with him, not sure either. Sleep had done him a little bit of good, at least. He was more alert now. "And?" And more talkative. He did see, though, that, while his brother looked relaxed, his guard had come up again. It was like when he had first arrived.

The Englishman's jaw clenched. He looked between them, though his eyes lingered on Alfred. He knew that even though Al had gotten some sleep last night that his brother still looked horrible to someone who had just walked in on the situation (and was probably still dead tired). Despite not saying anything, Matthew knew that Arthur wanted to speak with him privately.

After a moment's hesitation, he thought, 'Can you get Kuma some breakfast?'

Alfred raised an eyebrow. 'But Artie is gonna tell us why he's here.'

'Please, Al.' To his credit, Kuma walked into the kitchen at that moment.

Alfred paused for a few moments. He sighed. 'Alright, alright. Don't tell him anything, okay? Or… not the specifics if he asks why I look like shit.'

'You got it.'

Alfred stood and walked into the kitchen, giving a, "Alright, I'm coming Kuma" as his excuse. Matthew smiled. "Foods in the cabinet."

His brother responded, a slight smile in his voice. "I know, I know. I was here when you brought it." 'Kind of.'

Arthur motioned towards the other side of the room and Matthew followed, curious. When they reached the hallway near he and Alfred's rooms, the Brit stopped. "Okay..." He looked like he was about to explain, but asked instead, worry flashing in his eyes, "Is he all right?"

Matthew didn't answer, instead saying back, "You first." He wasn't going to risk being let out on more information, even if Arthur didn't tell him everything (which he was almost sure would happen). "What are those odd things you mentioned?"

The Englishman was silent for a few moments, thinking. The first thing that left his mouth was, "As I said… odd." He met his eyes, though he looked reluctant to say further. The look on Matthew's face, clearly awaiting a better explanation, told him to keep going. "I kept feeling a presence at my home. It… well it didn't do anything at first…"

His eyes widened, immediately thinking of the footsteps and the voice. "What do you mean a presence?" His voice came out more worried than he wanted.

"It…" Arthur let out a frustrated sigh. "You might not understand because it involves magic, but I set up wards; Protective wards. When I woke up, they were shattered."

Arthur was right… he didn't really understand. He didn't grasp the gravity of the situation, what that meant. But it still didn't sound good. "Shattered?"

He nodded, looking glad that someone was listening to him about the matter. "Yes." That disappeared quickly, however, replaced with a completely serious expression. "There were cracks and holes everywhere, all around my house and my grounds. Small and large… It did that, somehow…" He shook his head. "But that's… it's a point, but not the main one. What has been going on here?"

"I…" He did tell Alfred that he wouldn't give specifics, but those pertained more to the nightmares themselves. "Al's been having nightmares lately," He began. "I felt like something was wrong a few days ago and now I'm here." Well, that was a very quick rundown on the situation. "They're getting worse."

Arthur nodded slowly, an almost suspicious glint in his eye. "And… has there been anything else?"

Matthew paused. This was Arthur. If there was something weird or unexplainable you wanted to say, it was likely that he would believe you. He took a deep breath and nodded slowly, nearly shuddering when he pictured the voice in his mind. "Yeah…" He would probably have to tell Al about the voice… thing later. He knew that his brother would be upset if he held out on him any longer, even in his current condition.

The Englishman immediately became concerned, his full attention on the Canadian. That was new.

Matthew waited for him to say something, anything, but it didn't come. He began to explain. "Before I left to come here, I felt something in my house. Not, like, in my country, but in my home. It might not have been the same thing you're talking about, but…"

He nodded, his eyebrow's furrowing. "Did it…" He hesitated. "Did it do anything?"

"It, uh…" Matthew rubbed one of his arms, feeling cold suddenly. He shuddered, though he didn't mean to. "It spoke."

Arthur's eyes widened and stared at him. "It..." He brought a hand to his head, running it through his hair. "This is worse than I thought…"

If Arthur was saying that... Worry drenched the inside of his stomach, along with a twinge of fear. He had felt that thing twice. What would have happened if he hadn't gotten out? "What? How bad is it?" He wanted to ask what was going on, but he knew that Arthur wouldn't have the answer.

He shook his head. "I don't know. I…" He grabbed his phone from his pocket. "I need to call the others." Before he walked into another part of the house (toward the room he usually stayed in probably), he looked back. "How is Alfred? Really."

Matthew turned towards the kitchen, where Alfred had just finished giving Kuma his food. He was smiling softly, though the Canadian could still see the dark under his eyes and how rigid he was despite Arthur not being in the room. "He's…" He thought of the night before and looked at the fort. The Canadian answered slowly, "He's doing better." That's what it seemed like anyways…

After a short pause Arthur nodded, accepting the answer. He started to walk away and Matthew turned to face him. "Wait." The brit paused and turned his head, meeting his eyes.

"What is it?"

"Um, what did you mean earlier?" He hadn't the slightest clue. "When you said that you had-"

Arthur's eyes widened slightly and he held up a hand to stop him from saying anything further. "It's… its nothing…" He paused for a long moment like he would regret what he said next. "…that you need to know about yet, anyway. I'll tell you when I'm sure."

He sighed softly, wishing someone would give him a straight answer for once. "Alright…" He began walking up the stairs. He paused and turned towards Alfred. He looked alright, for now anyways. "You better tell me, Arthur."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
A town zoomed into view in the distance, its sparkling lights glimmering like stars. Car lights also shimmered, though they were more distracting (even as spread out as they seemed). Small roof tops edged into view seconds later, covered in the same veil of darkness and snow as the rest of the city. She smiled at it. It was quant, the lights almost smiling up at her from the ground.

Something nudged her upper arm. Tooth quickly turned her head, though she still paid attention to incoming obstacles. She had long gotten back into routine by now. Baby tooth was at her side, the Mini Fairy's wings fluttering at an incredibly high speed.

'We need to go, Mother.' She said, her voice clear to the guardian. Worry was present, though she couldn't blame her friend. She had fought against the Nightmare King himself with Jack.

She nodded slightly, smiling reassuringly as several other mini fairies rushed past her. "I know." Tooth looked excitedly at a house that had come into view. It was just as quant as the rest of the town, with neutral colored bricks and something that looked akin to a child's play set in the backyard. The lights were all off, the atmosphere surrounding the building, and most of the town, quiet. She paused a moment in the air, her wings twitching slightly. "One more to go."

Baby Tooth nodded, happy to help despite her worry. She knew that Tooth didn't want to disappoint the child and that she wanted to grab the tooth herself, if only one more house.

Tooth grinned, laughing softly, and flew with the speed of a hummingbird (or faster even) to the home. When she reached the child's bedroom she saw that the window was unlocked and spotted a few mini fairies zipping about inside. Oh, she hoped they would let her grab it…

As if sensing her thoughts they turned, smiling at her. She smiled back and quietly opened the window, allowing them to come outside. She maneuvered her way in, watching her wings as they passed through. The child, a boy looking around five or six, lay sleeping. Ocean blue blankets covered him, his head covered in messy chocolate hair resting on a pillow to match. Tooth zipped closer and silently grabbed the tooth from the bed. She nearly squealed with delight.

This was his first tooth! She grinned, looking it over. Bottom right central incisor and- oh he took care of it! Such a good job too… Knowledge of how it had been lost also filled her mind, or, really, the memory. She looked fondly at the boy, whose name she now knew was Andrew. It may not seem like much; it had been loose for a few days and he had just come inside from playing in the snow. He had only just had a sip of hot chocolate when it had fallen out. The memory was still great to her though, and who knew? Maybe as he grew it would brighten up one of his days. She couldn't wait to see what other fond memories he would have as he grew.

She smiled and grabbed a coin that she had been holding. Tooth slipped it under the pillow in place of the small tooth, which she held onto firmly. She laughed softly, seeing his surprised face when it had happened. "Keep up the good work, Andrew."

Baby Tooth nudged her once more, though a little harder now. She nodded, mouthing, 'I know, I'm coming.' She zipped out of the house faster than she had entered; leaving everything but the space the tooth had been untouched. She was sure that Jack, and probably all of the other guardians by now, was at North's home. After shutting the window, she turned towards the remaining Mini Fairies and nodded towards an area behind them.

"Take the other route. Let me know how it goes."

They probably didn't need to go on the backup route, but it was better to be safe than sorry, especially after last time. They hummed, each somewhat nervously, but eventually nodded. One called a farewell, another gave her a quiet, 'Be careful', and the furthest told her to say hello to Jack for them. The others nodded to agreement to both statements.

She laughed softly and nodded. After her confirmation they flew away, soon out of her sight. Baby tooth stayed by her side, however. Tooth wasn't about to tell the mini fairy to leave, either. After all, she had been though quite a lot in the events those few years ago. With a nod, she and Baby Tooth started flying as quickly as they could towards the north.

It took a bit longer than they had wanted. At times Tooth would sense teeth that still needed to be collected and would stop, wanting to grab it, even if she knew the others would come and get them. Baby tooth would assure her of this and that the others knew what to do. She knew that it was true, but after knowing all too well what it was like to almost not be believed in completely… At a house or two she couldn't help it, even if it only took her a minute at most to make the switch.

They could say that… by the other guardians standards they were a bit slow. When they reached North's home, the snow whipping around them, she was glad to see that her side entrance was open. North had put it in long ago, though she had only used it every so often until recent years. It was a small opening on one of the walls, well-guarded from the wind and snow. It was only big enough for herself and her Mini Fairies to enter from and, seeing as there was no opening system, she could simply fly straight in.

She did so, not needing to be careful when she flew in, and felt a draft of warm air hit her. She smiled slightly. Bunny had hopefully used the route that North had put in that allowed him to arrive through his tunnels.

A few of the yetis greeted her. Tooth smiled at them, wondering if they knew the reason for her visit. It was likely, seeing as they had probably already seen the other guardians' arrival. Baby Tooth flew ahead of her as they zipped towards the main workshop. The mini fairy smiled at her and she nodded back.

Upon entering the spacious room, various sounds greeted her. The clank of a hammer, the music of a toy guitar and the hum of a trumpet were all included. She stopped near the globe, which was still full of blazing lights, and spotted familiar shapes several feet away. Jack and Sandy were the first two to turn, the sand man waving and the white haired teen smiling. Tooth laughed and waved back, Baby Tooth already making her way ahead of her.

The Mini Fairy stopped when she had reached Jack and Tooth heard her talking excitedly, though she knew that Jack couldn't understand exactly what she was saying. Still, he looked happy to see her. Tooth's eyes rose and she found that Bunny and North had now turned towards her, smiles lighting their faces as well. She giggled softly and flew closer, her magenta eyes bright. "Hello, everyone."

A few pictures formed over the Sand Man's head, a tooth and a question mark. She nodded. "My fairies have got it." Sandy nodded, his smile widening.

Jack grinned, leaning backwards, Baby Tooth now hovering close to his shoulder. She still had no idea how his teeth could be that white. "How've you been?"

Tooth shrugged slightly. She often ran into Jack on her runs (sometimes literally), though she hadn't seen him in the past month or so. Some nights kept her busier than others after all. She was glad to see him, though. He looked so much better than the last time they had come together like this; happier. "The usual."

The younger guardian nodded. His eyes lit up. "I gotta know; has Sophie lost her first tooth yet?"

She nodded, trying to keep from squealing. "Yes!" Her wings fluttered excitedly and she hovered up and down for a few moments. "And it was so beautiful!" She made a small hole with her pointer and her thumb and showed it to him. "It was only that big, but it was such a nice lateral incisor."

"How'd she lose it?" The question came from Jack and Bunny, the latter having been listening, though more so after the girl's name had come up.

Tooth grinned, using her hands a bit more than was probably needed. What could she say? She loved it when people asked about the kids. And their teeth. "She was playing outside her house and fell." At their faces, she continued quickly, "Don't worry, she wasn't hurt. It popped out, just like that!"

The other guardians smiled fondly at the fairy and at the mention of the girl. North raised a hand. "I know there is much catching up to do, but-" He motioned towards Jack. "-he must explain."

Remembering that they had come here upon the grounds that something was wrong, the guardians sobered. Tooth hovered, waiting as Jack paused. Bunny crossed his arms next to her, unsure.

"What is it, Frostbite? You didn't see him… did you?"

Jack shook his head. "No, nothing like that..." He looked towards Sandy, who nodded despite looking confused. Pictures formed above his head and she caught the gist of what he was asking. Jack nodded and said, "Yeah, it's kind of like that." He turned to them, looking a little out of place. "Well… Jamie called me to his house. He said that he has this feeling-"

"Like the feeling my belly has." North added, interrupting. Bunny looked like he was going to roll his eyes, but Jack smiled at the man for the assistance.

"Yeah, like that." He agreed. "And he said that…" He made a face, his eyebrows furrowing. "Basically, he said that it feels like someone was about to jump out at him, I think he's been feeling sick too, and we think that it has something to do with Pitch."

Tooth's eyes narrowed, remembering when they had last seen the Boogeyman. If Pitch had returned… Her eyes widened and her head shot up, looking at Baby Tooth. "Tell them to be on the lookout." The mini fairy nodded immediately and off. Jack's eyes met hers for a moment and then followed Baby Tooth until she was out of sight. "We haven't seen anything bad yet." He assured quietly.

She nodded. "I know." But she wanted to be safe. She didn't want anything else to happen to her fairies. Jack nodded in understanding.

Bunny twirled one of his boomerangs. She had seen him do this as the result of nerves numerous times. "So… what are you saying? I believe the kid, but…" He stopped twirling and put the boomerang away, his eyes narrowing. "That doesn't leave us a lot to go on."

Tooth saw Jack bite his lip. "What is it?" She asked, worried. She trusted him and would definitely listen to what he had to say. She knew the others would as well.

He looked up at them, hand on his staff. "I saw this guy…" He began, though he looked unsure of what he to say. "He looked really familiar."

North placed a hand on his chin and stroked some of his beard in thought. "Pitch familiar or… something else?"

Tooth sucked in a breath, her eyes widening. "Like from your memories." Jack had told them some of the things that had happened in the memories he had regained. Who could he have seen? Could they have been related to his family?

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe…" He looked at the frost that formed along his crook and then towards them, his icy blue eyes unsure. "But it's the only direct lead I've got."

Tooth looked at the other three. Sandy nodded at them, telling them he supported the idea. North shrugged slightly, smiling in a way that told her he was fine with it. She nodded as well. She was with him on the idea and if it had to with his memories… it was something she wanted to see.

Bunnymund was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he nodded. "Alright, alright. It can't hurt to check into."

North was grinning suddenly. "Shall we take the sleigh?" He looked at them, Sandy and Jack nodding excitedly and smiling in agreement. Bunny groaned and shook his head quickly. Only his eyes showed his franticness.

"No way. I am not doing that again, mate." He took a step backwards and tapped the ground with his foot. A tunnel (or a "rabbit hole" as Jack so fondly called them) opened and one of his ears twitched, a small smile forming on his face. "How about another race?"

Jack nodded as he easily soaked in the new idea, his smile widening. "You are on, Cotton Tail." Sandy nodded next to him as his golden sand started to swirl in preparation, the man deciding on what he should make.

Tooth laughed softly, her wings fluttering quickly causing her to hover up and down rapidly. "I'm in." She, along with the others, looked towards North. The man smiled crookedly.

"Alright." He agreed. "But let me get to my sleigh first or is unfair."

"Fine." Bunny answered, tapping the ground again. The hole shut as quickly as it had opened, leaving behind only a small tulip. "But none of your globes."

North groaned, rolling his eyes, and started walking towards the doors leading to the bridge. "But where is fun in that? I will have to fly the whole way."

Tooth laughed. "Welcome to my business." She flew closer to him, smirking. "I bet I can fly faster you."

The man shook his head however. "No, I bet I can fly faster than you. I have a sleigh and everyone loves the sleigh."

Tooth shifted to the side, gesturing towards her back. "Wings."

He nodded, a very unimpressed expression forming on his face. "M'hmm…" He pulled open the doors, the metal swinging back and landing against the wall with a dull clack, and the guardians followed behind North to the beginning of the bridge. It was nearly complete, though Yetis still worked and monitored their surroundings. In the tunnel she could hear the clacking of hooves as the reindeer neared. Their bells continued to grow louder.

Soon, the sleigh was out, ready to roll, and North was readily climbing inside. He sat on the red seats, looking completely at home, and spun the globe at his side. Tooth, along with the other guardians, were at various starting positions around the sleigh. Sandy had made an airplane, one of his favorite creations to travel in. He turned to them, his goggles on securely, and gave them a thumbs up after nodding. Bunny had his foot ready to tap the ground, waiting for the call. Jack was next to him, hovering in the air as winds swirled around him. He, too, gave a nod that indicated he was ready.

Tooth looked out at the chilling wind and ice, ready to go. Her wings buzzed and she zipped in in several directions without meaning to, just waiting to take off. She would have to get Baby Tooth on the way or maybe the mini fairy could find her. She glanced at the white haired teen. "Where is this place, Jack?"

He shrugged, smirking. "Near the eastern edge of new York. You'll know it when you see it." At their questioning looks, he added with his usual mischievous smirk, "Because I'll be there first."

North rolled his eyes, tightening his grip on the reigns. "Sure you will." He readied the reigns. "On three. One, two…"

Tooth turned towards the mountains again. She smiled, glad to be doing this again. It was always nice to have a little fun.

"Three."

They were off.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The house was quiet. Alfred listened to it, took it in. He glanced around his living room from where he sat on the couch, his head resting on the cushions, but didn't think about getting up. He knew it sounded… his mind could only call it 'blegh' and he knew Arthur would probably say something along the lines of "Get off your lazy ass" if he came down the stairs. The American rubbed his eyes. He knew that he had gotten sleep last night, but he almost felt more tired than he had before. His arms ached and when he stood he felt like the energy had been zapped out of him.

To sum it up, he was just really… really tired. Whatever energy he had come to have upon waking had left him. He could hear Arthur faintly upstairs, talking with someone, though he didn't even begin to try to understand what was being said. If he got any of it the words just flew over his head or simply went in one ear and out the other.

His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think. What was Arthur even doing here anyways? He was worried, that much was obvious even to him, but… Why was he here? And who the heck was he talking to? He couldn't grasp onto it. At one point, though, or at least he thought, Arthur's voice had seemed a bit irritated and that meant he was either talking to his brothers or Francis. He vaguely assumed Francis.

Footsteps entered the room and he slowly raised his head at the sound of them. Matthew smiled slightly at him and motioned towards the kitchen. "Do you want something to eat, Alfie?"

He shrugged. 'I don't know…' He didn't feel like talking aloud, but Matt could hear him either way. 'Is food even…' he trailed off, unsure what he had been about to say, or think. 'What food do we have?'

'Um…' He heard his brother walk into the kitchen, though he had returned his gaze to the ceiling. He vaguely remembered the dream he had had now. Not the one last night. He didn't think he'd had any then, but the one the… wait… He tried to bring the days together in his head. Okay, the one where he'd yelled had been a bit before they had made the fort. It had been the dream from the night before.

He rubbed his eyes, feeling like he might get a headache soon. Stupid nightmares… Matt's voice came again, though it continued in his head. He was sure that Mattie knew if he spoke that he wouldn't absorb any information.

'We have sandwich stuff if you want lunch. There's still enough mix to make pancakes though.'

He smiled faintly. 'How about waffles?' He then laughed softly when he could almost see the face Matthew was making. His twin thought jokingly, his voice growling with mock anger,

'You have betrayed me, brother.'

He snorted, his head still fuzzy. 'Waffles are your enemy.'

'More like a distant cousin twice removed.'

Alfred burst out laughing. When he tried to respond, even in his thoughts, he couldn't finish. He didn't really care that he was laughing harder than he should. The point was that he was laughing. After a couple of moments he finally thought back, 'T-this shouldn't be this funny…'

His brother whisper thought back, 'That's what the waffles want you to think…'

That only caused him to laugh harder. When he was finished he wiped his eyes, feeling like his arm was weighted, and his stomach was already starting to hurt. That didn't seem to matter, however, as he tried to… to figure out how they were actually having this conversation. 'w-what?'

Matt continued to whisper, a hint of laughter in his voice though he tried to keep somewhat serious, 'I'm under their mind control, Al. They're making me make them an army of fluffy minions. Send help.'

'Matt, dude-' If anyone heard them, especially Arthur, they would be called a new level of crazy. But Arthur was upstairs and that seemed like a whole world away and the dude couldn't hear them anyway.

A moment later his brother walked into the living room with a plate that held two waffles. In his other hand was the same syrup he had put on his pancakes. The Canadian set it almost gracefully on the table. 'The minions have been completed.'

He shook his head, waiting for the last of his laughter to die down. 'They didn't think their plan through, Matt.' When his brother gave him a questioning look he grabbed a fork that Matthew had set on the plate, tore off a piece of waffle, and stuck it in his mouth. He looked at Matt like that was the only explanation required.

Matthew laughed softly, shaking his head slightly. 'Die waffle minions.'

The waffles, or army of waffle minions, were defeated quickly. It didn't take long for the plate to become empty. Alfred yawned, though he shook his head afterwards. Nope, he was not going to sleep.

'Later?' Matthew asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

Alfred shrugged a little. "May…" He trailed off he almost flinched when the noises he had heard in that nightmare became extremely clear. For a split second he could remember everything he had seen in exquisite detail, but then it faded. His brother nodded in response and stood. He turned his head, smiling slightly.

"I'm going to make Artie-" 'you've rubbed off on me.' "-some waffles."

Alfred nodded. "Okay." He handed matt the plate, though he felt bad that he couldn't stand to help. He didn't think he could walk up the stairs without falling over. "Thanks bro."

"No problem." As Matthew walked into the kitchen, Kuma walked out. He assumed that the bear had gotten breakfast as well. He looked up the stairs for a moment, a curious look on his face, before he made his way towards Alfred. He plopped down next to the couch, lying his head on the carpet. The American watched him for a moment, though he hadn't the slightest idea as to why. After a moment, he huffed softly. "Wish I could sleep as easy as you…"

The bear gave him an almost apologetic look, though he didn't sit up. Alfred returned to his previous position; his head on a cushion and his eyes scanning the ceiling. It sounded like Matt's next round of waffle minions were almost complete. Light footsteps walked upstairs and he heard Arthur pause in his talking.

'Hey, Matt,' He thought, 'why is Artie here?'

His brother thought back, 'He wanted to check in, I guess. He was really worried. Right now he's talking to some of the other countries.' Sure enough, Arthur's voice began anew a moment after.

Alfred nodded slowly to himself. Matt sounded worried, though. 'He doesn't know what's going on, does he?' Neither of them knew and, though Arthur always seemed to know about things that were out of the ordinary, he didn't know about this.

'No.' Matthew agreed. His footsteps started to come down the stairs again. 'He seems to know a little more than we do, but he didn't tell me what.'

'That's not so bad.' He thought, unable to stop it. He squinted, only now remembering that something was off. He grabbed at his face. How had he not noticed before? 'Matt… where's Texas?'

His brother paused on the stairs and, he assumed, looked around. 'I think in the fort.' He climbed down the last of the stairs and made his way to their fort, crawling into it. After a few moments he exited, clutching something in his right hand. He stood and held it out to Alfred, who took them and put them on their rightful position on his face. 'Thanks…'

He trailed off and his eyes narrowed. They stared into the space in front of him, the coffee table in his view yet completely far away from him. Something twinged in the back of his mind. It was almost similar to when he felt another country come onto his land, but… it felt different. It felt familiar.

"Al? You okay?"

More came into his radar, seeming like little dots. They were close… really close, though the first was far ahead of the others. They each felt different. One, the first, was… chilly. It almost felt like cold wind. Another was similar, though it reminded him more of a feather. In some part, he didn't know where, was a bright presence and next to it was a… a… what? He tried to focus, but it was already too fuzzy. Something was… tunneling? And there were bells.

A hand rested on his shoulder. "Al. What is it?"

He didn't answer his brother, instead turning to look at the door. After a moment of two a sound came from behind it. He thought he could hear someone talking, though that could just have been form the lack of sleep. No knock came from the door, though Alfred thought that he could hear something from inside is house. He could feel the presence here, in his house, and looked around.

He could hear the crunch on the carpet, though it was barely there, and someone stepped into his field of vision. It was a teenager. His white hair and pale skin almost reminded him of Gilbert and for a moment he wondered if the nation had snuck into his home. Then he saw the icy eyes and was completely thrown off. The teen turned towards him and as soon as their eyes met he blinked, seemingly surprised. "Oh, you can see me…" He trailed off, looking between himself and Matthew. "Didn't expect that."

Alfred's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at this new person. 'Am I hallucinating again…?'

'No…'Matthew's hand tightened on his shoulder, protective. His voice barely showed it, however, only wary when he asked, "Who are you?" 'Does this guy seem familiar to you, too?'

'Uh huh...'

The teen raised his hands in peace, a weird looking staff crook like… thing in one of his hands, looking like he knew how Matt was reacting. "Easy, I'm not gonna hurt anyone." Now Alfred noticed the ice covering his jacket and how his fingers and toes seemed nearly frostbitten. He wanted to ask if the kid was okay, but something told him that he was perfectly fine. Something clicked in the back of his mind. "I'm Jack."

"Okay…" Matthew began. He could sense his brother blinking, Matt obviously noticing the same things that he had. "You're um…" His wariness faded quickly and he stiffened. '…oh.'

Jack smiled, though it was a little nervous and surprised. "Yeah… Jack Frost." He looked behind him and Alfred could sense the other presences coming closer. Several sounds came from outside, though he couldn't register what they were. Then something louder came.

"Ha, I told you I would beat you!" A gruff voice called. He could pick up something that seemed vaguely… Russian about it.

More voices came while the two brothers simply stared. Jack shrugged at them and opened the door. Outside stood four people. They would have been recognizable to any child and, to both countries, were just as easy to pick out. They continued talking, or arguing, despite being watched and didn't seem to notice that little fact. The sand man was the only one who turned and his eyes widened when he saw them.

"Yeah, guys," Jack started. The three turned and quickly stopped talking. They looked towards him and Matthew, surprised.

Jack nodded towards the figures he and Matt had never stopped seeing, smiling now. "They can see us."


	9. Chapter 9

The Italian was pacing, his arms folded with one close to his ear, holding his cellphone. The phone was ringing, loud and incessant, but no one was picking up. Lovino tried to calm his thoughts, as not to worry his brother who was finally asleep, but it was proving to be more and more difficult the more rings passed. 'Pick up, pick up, pick up… please, bastardo, pick up.'

He kept pacing, taking larger strides across his living room. If there was no response he was going to lose it. His breaths were starting to become uneven and his eyes continued to swivel back towards the hallway, along with his legs, and he always had to steer himself back.

People thought that Lovino was an uncaring bastard. He knew that. He gave them no reason to think otherwise, cursing at Antonio and even his own brother in public, but he cared more than anyone realized… and right now it was driving him insane.

He was three seconds from shouting as loud as he could into the receiver, God damn the consequences, when there was a brief and abrupt click. The Italian stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. After a moment's pause, he breathed, unsure, "Antonio..?" The name was familiar. It brought a slight wave of calm into him, thinking of when the man on the other side would help him with his problems. Those days had long passed, but it was still reassuring to think about.

There was a pause on the other end before a voice filtered in, smooth and light and… not what he wanted. "Non, this is Francis. How can I help the little tomato?"

Lovino stared at nothing, fear prickling the inside of his stomach. No… he didn't need this. The Frenchman's tone was light and joking and, as much as the Italian wanted to conjure anger towards it, he couldn't. All he felt was fear and his mind ran so quickly that he couldn't understand why. And then suddenly it was gone, replaced with only his pleading heart.

He began pacing again, his hand gripping his hair. "I need to talk to Antonio. Is he there? Can I speak with him?" He wanted to keep asking, keep talking until Francis couldn't help but give the phone to his past caretaker, but he forced himself to stop. No, that wouldn't help. It wouldn't help anything. He could freak out when Antonio was on the phone. Right now he just needed to persuade the bastard.

There was a brief moment of silence and when the Frenchman spoke again his tone had completely changed, becoming soft and almost like that of the man he was trying to get a hold of. "Oui, he's around here. Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

Lovino shook his head a few times. He didn't have time to answer the man's questions, even if in the back of his mind he knew Antonio would be wondering the same. "Please, just let me talk to Antonio."

He could hear, with a sigh of relief, Francis nodding. He waited; tense, in the silence for the phone to be given and the Spaniard to step on the line. After a few more moments his mind began to race again, beginning to think that maybe Francis had only been pretending to be nice, but then there was a shifting sound against his ear and, not a moment later, the voice he had been waiting for. It was concerned, despite having no idea what was wrong. That was Antonio.

"Hola, Lovi." Lovino sighed, running a hand through his hair as Toni asked, "What's wrong?"

"There's-" There was what? "F…" for a moment he wasn't sure if he was going to curse or say his brother's name. He settled for turning in his spot now, carefully aware of the table next to his leg lest he bump into it.

"Take your time, Lovi," came the quiet response to his frustrated clipped sentences. "Take a deep breath…"

After a blink, his eyes narrowing, Lovino did so, filling his lungs with air slowly and then letting it out even slower, making it a bit longer than the time he had used to take in the breath. He didn't use the technique as often but now was a good time to be reminded of it. After a few moments he felt his anxiety start to peter off, if only for a short time.

"Good," Toni praised quietly. "Are you sitting down?"

Lovino's head slowly tilted downwards, his gaze shifting over the floor as the phone slowly migrated away from his ear. He shook his head, inwardly cursing how stupid he was being. "No…"

Antonio spoke reassuringly, his voice the same stupid guiding tone he had used centuries ago, "Sit down, mi tomate."

The Italian let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and, after fighting the urge to sit where he was standing, moved to the couch. He sat quietly, nodding when it was done. "Okay…" He was so frazzled… his brain was running on loose ends, now nearly as blank as the wall he was staring at.

He could tell that Toni nodded. "Now, what's wrong?"

"um…" He rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his right hand. He fought not to start breathing heavier out of frustration and stress. "F-feli's…" He sighed, shutting his eyes. He tried and failed to blurt out the sentence. It was only slow, nearly resigned. "Feli's having so many nightmares, Toni…" That didn't even begin to cover it. The things in the nightmares were gruesome, things that he couldn't even begin to say. He thought he could feel his twin's frustration as well, simply trying to get a good night sleep seeming as hard as World War II. With it came not only his own exhaustion from trying to make sure his brother didn't see any of those things again, but some of Feli's too.

If Toni had replied he had missed it. The Italian slumped, taking in a tired breath. "I don't know what to do…" 'I wish you were here.' He didn't push away the thought, though he knew it was stupid. Antonio wasn't his boss anymore, wasn't his protector. He didn't even think of saying the thought aloud, instead continuing slowly with, "What do I do…?"

Antonio always helped him. No matter how much of a dick he was being on the outside, no matter that he didn't live under the same roof as the man… it never seemed to matter. Lovino kept his eyes shut, waiting as the sun's glare died slightly in front of his eye lids.

The Spaniard was quiet for a couple of moments, thinking. Lovino waited quietly, knowing he had been given time for his own response. Good answers came with time. When he finally did speak, Lovino wasn't disappointed.

"Comfort him," Antonio advised first, "Let him know that you're there." He paused a moment before he added quietly, "Talk with him if you can, Lovino."

For a moment the frustration returned, rising. It caused him to say, not with anger but in a near pleading tone, "But I don't know what to say."

He could almost see Antonio smiling reassuringly on the other end. Lovino raised an eyebrow for a moment, confused, before the other answered him. "Mi tomate, anything you say is worth a million words. I'm sure Feliciano will appreciate it as much as I have."

Lovino blinked, surprised, though a part of him was still confused. What was Toni talking about? Was it- It hit him suddenly, causing his eyes to narrow. Was he really talking about… Was he serious? Was he really talking about when he was little (a little butt) and he had told Antonio thank you. …really? He wasn't sure if he should be flattered or… well, he was kind of flattered. Slowly, a smile slipped onto his face and he laughed softly. "You really are a sap, you know that?"

Antonio's bubbling laughter came through the receiver. It was genuine, not like many of those times when he was young. A few moments later he got out, "That's mi tomate."

Lovino found himself smiling despite the nickname and his tired mind. He stared at the carpet, waiting for Antonio to speak again. After a minute or so his eyes started to close and he leaned more in the direction he was looking. If not for Antonio talking again he would have dropped the phone.

"Lovi?"

He sucked in a breath, his eyes fluttering open. The Italian jerked backward a few inches, sat straighter, and rubbed his eye. The motion still seemed slow. "Sono sveglio…" he mumbled, "…Sono sveglio…"

He barely noticed the new concern in Antonio's voice. "Lovi, how much sleep have you been getting lately?"

He blinked a few times, unsure how to answer his former guardian's question. "Um…" What was sleep, he thought sarcastically. "I don't… I don't know…" He paused and laughed quietly to himself. "A number." Gilbert was rubbing off on him, even if it was only in his worried and sleep deprived state.

Antonio spoke again, almost unsure. "Why don't you go take a siesta, mi tomate?"

Lovino paused, unsure if the Spaniard was asking why he wasn't taking one or if he was suggesting it. He blearily phrased his answer for the second option, but it could be an answer to both. "But… Feliciano could be having another nightmare."

"I know, but you need some sleep too, Lovi." He paused, probably knowing that his answer would do nothing to appease him. "And maybe Feli…" He trailed off.

Lovino shifted, grunting. "Hmm?" For a moment he swore he could hear conversation in the background. It was probably just Antonio talking with the wine bastard… For a moment he became completely irrational. What would Francis do if he found out?! He could- wait… His eyebrows furrowed. The two were on good terms, right..? Yeah… yeah, they were. Okay… He breathed a small sigh of relief, wanting to smack himself, but not having the energy. Okay…

"Lovino, I'm coming over, alright? Francis is coming with me too if that's okay."

The Italian shook his head once, as if the other could see him. "But-"

There was the sound of the phone being handed to another person and soon Francis's voice had filled the line. In it was concern, but none of the overdramatic sense he usually had. "Lovino, may I please come over? I can make something for both of you."

The Italian was about to rebut, but something made him pause. His brother's voice entered his mind, though this time it was from memory and not from thoughts. "Big brother France!" Feliciano was usually happy to see Francis… and the offer did seem genuine. He sighed, rubbing his eye again. He needed to shut the stupid window… "Alright…"

Though a small noise of surprise could be heard, it disappeared a moment later and was replaced by a grateful tone. "Merci. We will be there in a few minutes."

He nodded slowly, not even caring how long they came over for. The nightmares weren't normal and… "Alright…" He expected them to hang up, but surprisingly… it didn't happen. Instead, Toni's voice returned.

"Would you like me to keep the line open, lovi?"

Hmm… The thought was tempting and he did appreciate it. Really, it was so much like the Spaniard he found himself smiling again. But… He shook his head, saying with a touch of fondness, "No, just get over here you damn bastardo."

Antonio chuckled, giving a, "Alright, Lovi," before he hung up. The Italian sighed, mentally checking on his twin. When he felt and heard no signs for alarm he relaxed a little, glancing around the room. Again, he winced at the sun's glare. Stupid thing… he stood and made his way to the window, effectively shutting the blinds. Now it wouldn't bother him at least…

Maybe it was due to the fact that he was actually thinking a little more efficiently now, but he unlocked the door and took out his phone, pulling up Toni's number. He typed a little sloppily, 'I unlocked the door. If you bastards wake feli up I swear I will kill you.' He waited to see if they had read the message and when they did he nodded to himself, glancing down the hall where he knew Feli was.

Still… nothing. He didn't quite buy it this time… it was too quiet. Lovino took quick but quiet strides down the hall, headed towards his room. He poked his head in the door, letting out a breath when he spotted Feli sleeping peacefully on the bed. He debated on staying, but, reminded of Antonio's claim that he would be there in a few minutes, he returned to the living room. After standing for what felt to be a few minutes his body started to feel weighed down, his head a little light, and he sat down.

It couldn't have been fifteen seconds later when the door opened. Antonio smiled at him as usual (meaning he smiled like there was nothing wrong in the world), a small backpack slung over his shoulder. Francis entered after; giving him a nod and his own sort of… smile. The two were quiet and glanced around the room, setting down whatever things they had quietly. The Italian motioned to the hall behind him when something suddenly seemed very… off. His eyes widened and he immediately stood, making his way towards his room again.

When he got there Feli was already awake, looking around the room frantically, his eyes wide. He could hear him whispering frantically, "Where is it, where is it, where is it, where did he go..?" His amber eyes scanned the floor, the ceiling, the closet…

"Feliciano..?"

His twin's head snapped in his direction, though his eyes never stayed on him for more than a few seconds as they continued to search. "Where is he, Lovino?" Feli's voice was as frightened as his eyes.

The room looked just as he had left it moments before. There was nothing out of place, or anything torn. Still, it felt a little… darker than before, even with the light shining through the cracks in the blinds. "Where is who, fratello?"

Feliciano opened his mouth to respond, but his eyebrows furrowed before a word could be uttered. "…" The hand at his side, the one clenching the blankets, tightened. "Him…" His voice sounded confused rather than frantic now. "He was a shadow…"

Lovino felt his stomach sink to the floor. Oh no… Feliciano was hallucinating now. Shit… Double shit. And… Antonio and the French bastard were here now. Triple shit.

A voice came quietly from the doorway, "Hola, Feli. I see you are awake now."

Speaking of the annoying western European nations… He turned and briefly glared at the Spaniard, only to have Francis peek through the doorway after him and smile at his brother. "Hello, Feliciano."

Feliciano's shifting eyes stopped for a moment and only looked between the two men, his head tilting slightly to the side. "…Big brother France..? And…" He seemed to stumble over his words for a moment, his eyes refocusing. "…Hola, Toni…"

His brother's expression slowly fell and he winced, turning his head away from the window. Lovino made his way to the blinds, realizing that Feli was having the same issue he had, but his twin suddenly shook his head, shuddering. "N-no," he assured, "Don't close them anymore. I'm fine."

Seeing how he had rushed with the words and how frightened his expression had suddenly become, Lovino couldn't help but agree. He glared at the other two (though mainly Francis) for just a moment, daring them to say anything, but they looked far from wanting to tease him about being concerned. Instead, Francis suggested, "Would you like me to make you something, Feliciano?"

Feli blinked a moment and looked towards Lovino momentarily before he slowly shook his head, his expression becoming apologetic. "No… mi dispiace. I'm not very hungry."

Francis's expression fell. "Are you sure?" When Feliciano nodded again, he resigned to the answer. Toni gave a soft but helpful, "Maybe later, huh?"

He watched as Feliciano tried to smile, but it hardly reached his eyes. Soon enough, it fell and he only nodded once more before staring listlessly at the blankets settled around him, his eyes occasionally flicking around the room. They were silent for a few moments, Toni and Francis both searching for something to say… maybe the right question to ask his fratello.

Antonio's eyes flickered briefly and the Spaniard sent him a reassuring look before he walked to the other side of the bed and sat down, which hardly got a response from Feliciano. Toni waited a moment and asked, "How have you been, Feli?"

For a moment, his twin hesitated. He looked like he wanted to say something. But then, as indicated by the small frown taking shape, he thought against it and shrugged non-committedly.

"Alright… what has been going on?"

Feli bit his lip, but otherwise gave the same response. After a few moments of silence he winced nd asked lowly, "Don't you already know?" He didn't as much as look at Lovino when he said it, but the glance he had gotten earlier made sense now. Even with lack of sleep, Feliciano knew his brother. He knew the point when he would draw the line, when the worry would get to be a bit too much, and he would ask for help.

Antonio paused and was about to respond when a phone went off. Lovino slowly turned his head to his left, noting that feli jumped, and glared at the Frenchman by the doorway. Francis blinked and quickly took out his phone. He was about to decline the call, as he should have, but his expression shifted when he saw the screen.

"It's Arthur…" His eyebrows furrowed and Lovino made a face. That was odd… they all knew the Englishman rarely called Francis. The man gave a soft, "Je suis désolé, I should answer this," before he walked out of the room.

Lovino shared a glance with Antonio, who shrugged slightly, before they both returned their attention to Feliciano. His twin had returned to glancing around the room, though his movements were more sluggish than before. Moments later, Antonio poked his fratello's shoulder, giving his carefree smile. "Hey, how about later I get you some tomatoes?"

That greeted him with a more genuine smile from Feliciano. The younger Italian nodded slightly and whispered a, "Okay," in agreement. After a few moments he fell silent and shifted, avoiding their eyes. Lovino crossed his arms against his chest, huffing softly under his breath at the fact that he was, again, useless in this situation… but then he noticed the direction of Feli's eyes. They were looking in a certain direction.

The dresser at one side of the room had remained somewhat neat through the last few nights, but subtly, he noticed, the papers on top of it had been growing. They looked blank other than the occasional paint marks or pencil scratches, but… something told him otherwise.

Slowly, he turned and met his twin's eyes. The amber eyes widened at the recognition they obviously saw in their reflection, but they made no move to suede their owner against looking at the discovery. Instead, Feliciano looked towards them again, like he was giving permission. 'Go ahead.'

After a moment of hesitation, Lovino made his way to the dresser and grabbed a few papers from the top of the stack. A few were hardened, meaning that the paint Feliciano had used on them had dried completely. Slowly, he turned them around. The images he was met with made the corners of his mouth pull down, his chest tighten.

Feliciano was never one to keep things inside for long. Whether he released his worries verbally, artistically, or musically, he found some way to voice what plagued him. In many ways, Lovino had always admired and envied that quality. This matter… that matter was no different.

Without a word, Lovino placed the works carefully on the bed to a place where they could be seen clearly by himself as well as Antonio. His brother had used many different mediums (he assumed whatever Feli had on hand when he woke up). Just in the few images he had picked… God…There was a graphite sketch of the box he had been told of that housed the bomb, captured in great detail; a water color painting in dark and cold colors, depicting something like a prison cell, in which he could make out his brothers form against the wall; an acrylic painting with an opposite style and range of colors that burst off the page, of flames and archaic building torn to pieces with pale forms of different colors seemingly arguing. The last… was the most disturbing. It was done in charcoal and showed, with a variety of sharp lines and blended strokes, a face. It was nightmarish (no pun intended) with hollow, sunken eyes and small, razor- like teeth. The creature seemed to be screaming with a gaping black maw for a throat.

He was so busy trying to take all of it in that he barely heard Antonio speak.

"This is what you've been seeing…"

With a low nod, Feliciano grabbed the watercolor paper. He stared at it for a few moments before grabbing the charcoal drawing from Lovino's hands, causing the older brother to look up.

"This was last nights." He explained quietly, his eyes stuck to the paper. "It… I don't know what it was… but it whispered and it screamed and…" He shuddered and slowly turned his head, scanning the room once more. "I thought it followed me out."

That didn't sit well with Lovino's ears, or his stomach. He frowned deeper and gingerly took the picture from his brother's hands, resting it on top of the others. "Well…I don't think it did, fratello. But if it did…" He glared at nothing. "I would give it hell."

Antonio gave him an approving nod while Feli…

He laughed.

Lovino blinked a few times, wondering what might have been funny about that. But he would take it. it felt like a century since he had last heard Feliciano laugh. The older brother gave a small smile and gather the pictures together once more before he placed them carefully back on the dresser. When he turned, he immediately noticed someone else in the room. It seemed the French bastard had returned.

His eyes scanned over the man, trying to gauge what the phone call had been about, but… judging by how the Frenchman was now looking at Feliciano… he didn't think he liked it.

Antonio didn't seem to like it either. "What did Arthur want, mi amigo?"

Francis continued to watch Feliciano with a mix of concern and uneasiness, not looking away as he said, "It seems Feli isn't the only one who is suffering from these… things." He turned and finally met their eyes. "Alfred has been having them and, if Anglettere's voice was anything to go on, he has too."

It felt like everything he had been trying to ignore; the relentlessness of the nightmares, their ferocity, the stupid laughter he had heard a while ago, and, finally, Feliciano's frantic search for a shadow…

"Alright." His voice was tight with anger; anger at the nightmares, anger at whatever shadow his fratello had supposedly seen, anger at Arthur and that stupid American for not telling them about this sooner… anger at practically everything in the vicinity that wasn't his brother. "Let's take a little trip."  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There was always something Jack never thought he would be able to find.

That something changed every so often. Sometimes it was every year, every ten years, maybe once a century. For the longest time he never thought he would be able to find a family, a friend. He never thought he would be able to find someone who could see him. He never thought he would find out who he was, who he had been.

And yet… he had managed to find them all.

Now, here he stood, in some house in New York, with two nineteen year olds staring at him. And the thing was, now that he was here in the same room with them… they didn't seem like nineteen year olds. There was something about them, something in their eyes that was well beyond a lifetime. And when he heard their voices… they seemed to double over, blend with something else in his mind.

"Who are you?"

Something tugged in the back of his mind, as if it was trying to bring itself to the front. It was an itch that he couldn't yet scratch. He gritted his teeth for a moment, trying to pull at it, but nothing happened. The next time he blinked he realized that the other guardians had already made their way into the house.

They looked equally as stunned as he felt. Or at least… he thought so. Tooth was zipping around so fast he could hardly pin her to one spot, much less see her facial expression. He couldn't tell what North was thinking and Sandy was making pictures over his head way too quickly. His expression kept shifting too, from shock to confusion to something else. Bunny… alright, well at least Bunny had the proper reaction. His face was the picture of when he had hopped down his rabbit hole to find his egg golems painted over. (Yeah, that prank had not been well received.)

The twins were just as shocked, their eyes shifting to all of them in turn. And Jack did mean all of them. It was really odd that they could see him… Had Jamie's "rumors" gotten here al- wait, no, these two would have already been past the regular age that kids stopped believing by that time. How could they see them? …How could they see him? 

A sharp pulse ran through his skull and he winced. "Ow." He muttered, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his head. His eyes slowly opened and he realized that he couldn't hear the other guardians nearly as well. The hum of tooth's wings had faded to something almost like static and sandy's shifting images had practically disappeared. He couldn't make out Bunny spluttering. As he glanced around it seemed something was unfolding in front of his eyes. Snow was starting to appear on the ground and he could hear the wind whistling around him.

It was icy, one of the rougher winters he remembered from being alive. It wasn't that there had been a lot of snow, much to his dislike, but it was incredibly frozen. The temperatures, he remembered, had reached far below their normal range.

Children were still playing outdoors. One of them, he found, was himself. He was running with a group of other kids, laughing his head off at something. He vaguely heard an adult telling them to slow down or they would fall.

Yeah… sure, they'd do that.

The younger him turned his head, causing jack to follow his gaze. He immediately started laughing. One kid's tongue was stuck to a frozen tree. Poor guy… Though he couldn't remember his name, he was waving an arm, trying to shout at them.

The winter spirit glanced around curiously, looking at the village that he knew so well. A few moments later he was suddenly standing next to himself, listening to a voice call out.

"Jack, its time to come inside!"

Both he and his younger self turned, identical pouting expressions on their faces. "Aw…" Still, he knew himself well enough to know he wouldn't outright ignore the order. He watched as he said bye to his friends and hurried towards his house, only to stop on the way. The longer he saw himself pause, the larger his smile grew.

Younger Jack turned and began to nearly tip-toe away from the building, as if they could somehow see him (and knowing his mother that wasn't far from the truth) before he ran further, nearer to the trees. After a moment of thought Jack followed, trailing closer to the edges of the town the further his younger self raced away. He had no clue as to where he was going, but he was pretty sure they were both thinking the same thing; Why not? This was probably the reason he was seeing this memory anyway.

Just as he caught up with himself, who seemed to be thinking he had strayed a bit too far, he heard something. It sounded like… voices, maybe? A rustling in the bushes? For a moment he thought it was all in his head (not like all of this wasn't all in his head right now) but his younger self suddenly perked up and turned his head toward the nearest set of bushes, which were subtly shifting every now few moments. "Hello?" He called, "Who's there?"

The noises suddenly fell silent. Then, moments later, they grew, as if whatever was there was trying to get out of their hiding place and away from him. Younger Jack didn't seem to take notice. Instead, he kept walking… towards the noises. Not his best decision… Still, he followed, trying to stay just out of sight despite knowing he couldn't be seen. After a few running steps, a few tree limbs trying to scratch his body, he was met with a familiar face. Or… two familiar faces.

"W-whoa, sorry…" His younger self mumbled after nearly running into the two. The twins only stared at him in surprise, their expressions mirroring the one he wore when caught in the middle of a prank. He was still trying to figure out just how he was seeing them here when the one with more colonial attire spoke. He was still wide eyed, but he seemed to be more comfortable with speaking.

"It's okay, but we need to go."

They looked hurried and the other twin, the one that had thought he was going to attack him outside of his memories, started to head in the other direction. He looked a little different, a little younger, which was a bit odd, considering he thought that he was the older one. "Come on, Alfred."

The other blond, 'Alfred', nodded and waved at him, a smile on his face. "Okay." He turned and, moments later, all that was left next to him was an empty bush and a plethora of trees.

Before he could begin to think on any of that, the world began to spin and shift. The memory began to fade into transparency and then it took a sudden shift, his vision blackening. He blinked a couple of times, his head pounding against his skull, and tried to shake it away. This had happened once or twice before on account of … well, he assumed it was an aftereffect of seeing his memories after so long. The darkness sticking to his vision persisted however and, slowly, he began to hear whispers… voices. Some he remembered hearing around the various outdoor hearths during winter and others only as dim murmurs around the town.

"Did you see a child?"

"-so young-"

"Maybe he is a ghost-"

"I thought there were two…"

He remembered seeing them, just as he was now, and feeling something different about them. Something in the way Alfred had hesitated, almost like he was going to warn him that it was getting late and he should head back home. Something about their eyes and the way they had disappeared so quickly… For a short time he remembered thinking about them and wondering where they lived… what their parents were like or maybe if they like to play jokes on one another.

The blackness began to fade and the items and people in the living room began to take its place. As he blinked away the memories, the throbbing behind his temples, he slowly shifted his eyes and met the two sets of blue and purple now staring back at him. As a spirit, Jack had been around a while, had seen and met others who were like him, but that didn't make it any easier to take in sometimes.

And, he told himself, these spirits felt different. They gave off something unique, the same thing that he had felt as a child... but now, now that he was something different himself, it multiplied. It felt almost like a low pulse, one that was tied to the ground, one that could resemble a heartbeat. In a way… it felt humbling.

The next thing he knew was sounds. They had been delayed in reaching his ears as a result of seeing things far inside his mind, but now they snapped sharply into focus. The spirit of winter glanced to his left, wincing a little, and saw Tooth not two feet away. He jumped just a bit, blinking a few times in surprise. … Just how long had he been staring into nothing?

Tooth's expression was worried, much like a mother's might be, and before she could even ask he smiled, trying to assure her that he was alright. She, however, still managed to whisper the question quietly enough that the two wouldn't hear.

He nodded, rubbing the back of his head a moment. "I'm fine," He assured, lowering his voice. "I just remembered… seeing them."

And suddenly North was next to him, asking lowly, "You know them, Jack?"

He turned, an eyebrow raised, still trying to read the expression on the man's face. He seemed more perplexed than worried, however, so… he assumed that was a good sign. "Uh… I'm pretty sure I just met them once…"

From behind them one of the twins, Alfred, asked, "So… if you guys could explain what's going on here that would be great… because I am really confused."

All of the guardians turned and jack found he had the urge to smile. He didn't fight it, only shrugging to himself as he leaned comfortably against his crook. These guys weren't any danger, he knew that. "I would but I'm actually pretty confused myself." He glanced at North momentarily and then at the rest of the Guardians. "Anyone want to try and explain here?"

The other guardians shrugged in response to his question. Tooth, it seemed, only then noticed Baby Tooth was missing. She looked around hurriedly while jacks eyes skimmed the room, only to find the Mini Fairy hovering next to twins. Alfred looked utterly confused for a moment before his expression shifted to something akin to awe. He reached out, much like a child might, and carefully cupped the fairy in his hands. Over his shoulder the other twin, who jack really needed to learn the name of, watched, perplexed.

North took a step forward. The twins as well as guardians turned towards him, the man's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the twins. "Wait, wait a moment…" His eyes flicked from one to the other, looking over their features, before his azure eyes widened and he clapped his hands together in realization. "Oh..! I do not believe it, it is you!"

Bunny, Tooth, Jack, and Sandy stared at the man with similar expressions of confusion while the twins just looked surprised.

Alfred, who Jack now realized looked much worse since the last time he had laid eyes on him, blinked. "Wait, Santa actually knows us..?" He glanced at his brother, as if to say, 'Did you know about this?' before he continued staring.

For a moment North smirked before it fell and he turned to them, as if confused that they were confused. He looked between them and then blinked, his eyes widening in realization. "Oh, right, I did not tell you… was big news. I did not think possible, but then again…" He shrugged.

Bunny's ear twitched. "Mate… what are you talking about?"

North pointed towards the twins. "They know the only other person who has a magical sleigh. And they did helped deliver presents once…" He trailed off, scratching his beard. "Still do not know how that happened…"

Bunny looked like someone had told him that Pitch had suddenly dressed up as a Disney princess, meanwhile Sandy was making a succession of pictures above his head in an attempt to understand. It looked like he was doing better than Tooth.

"So, wait, wait-" Jack took a couple small steps towards north, twirling his crook in thought a moment before he held his hands up to tell North to slow down. "What?"

The older guardian sighed. "Is very difficult to explain. There is not an easy way." He paused, thinking, before seemed to give up and turned towards the twins. "These are nations." He let that sit for a moment, while the older twin took the cue and began to talk.

"Um... He's right." He rested a hand on his brother's shoulder; meanwhile Baby Tooth flew from Alfred's hands to the other's shoulder. At all of their stares, he looked away briefly. "I'm Matthew by the way, this is Alfred, and… yeah, we are the personifications of nations, like how you are the…" He seemed to be trying to find the right word. "…personifications… of holidays." He turned to Jack, nodding towards him respectfully. "And winter."

The group lapsed into silence until Bunnymund finally stopped incomprehensible faces and found his voice. "Wait, how is that even possible? I mean… I've been around for a long time and I have never seen any of you."

The twins looked between each other and shrugged. Alfred turned to the enormous rabbit a moment later, though his movements were a bit sluggish. For a moment Jack's eyes shifted behind him to the fort (how had he missed that thing?) in the middle of the room before he turned back to the two. He found himself wanting to help for the second time, despite just meeting them. "You probably haven't met the others because they didn't celebrate Easter. Or… you know…" He trailed off briefly. "I mean it started as a Pagan thing, but then Christianity started to come along and…" His eyebrows furrowed and he looked up at Bunny. "It came to my place from German immigrants. You sure you never saw anyone? I would have been a lot younger and I might have had these little suspender things on or something…"

It seemed like Alfred would have gone on, but Matthew shook his shoulder briefly and the American's mouth fell shut, though he looked a bit unaware of his rambling. Despite that, Bunny looked to be recalling something and Jack now didn't doubt the two at all. Though the Alfred he had seen had been older than that description they were too similar for it to be anything other than the truth. And really… he had seen stranger things than nation personifications.

Although… he would really want to see them beat North to the punch.

He paused and turned to the big guy, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to wrap his head around another bit of information. "Wait, wait; hold up. Who else has a sleigh?"

North gave a good natured laugh. "Finland. I have to say he is very quick getting around. And once he made it snow on an island-"

That immediately caught Jacks attention. "He did what now?"

Alfred laughed quietly from the couch. "Oh, that was great… It made for a nice break in the fighting." When Jack, along with Tooth, looked at them confusedly, Alfred explained, "It was during World War II. Some nasty stuff, man, but Tino somehow got everyone to stop, if only for a day. Not like our troops didn't keep going…" He frowned for a few moments and trailed off before his eyes widened, finally realizing he was saying far too much. He glanced up, trying to send them a sheepish smile. "Sorry… I'll shut up now."

There was a pause and Bunny held up a hand. "So… let me get this straight…" He pointed towards Alfred and Matthew. "You two are personifications of nations. You've lived for however long… I'm assuming however long you're inhabited and your land remains intact, am I right?" when they nodded slowly, he continued. "And… you are the personifications of..?"

Matthew spoke this time, a little apologetic. "Sorry. Canada." He pointed to Alfred, "and America."

Bunny nodded. It seemed to Jack that he was finally making sense of this now. Considering he had walking eggs… he had probably seen weirder things too. "Alright and we're here because…" He paused and turned to the other guardians. "We should probably explain that."

"Right…" North agreed, though he looked unsure of how to do so. He looked to Tooth, who shrugged, and then to Jack. The spirit of winter blinked, turning a few ideas over in his mind. "Well… do you guys know what happened a few years ago?" It seemed a little weird to him that they wouldn't know, but it didn't hurt to check.

The two were quiet for a few moments and seemed to be discussing something non verbally, like when Jack had first arrived. However, a moment or two later they shook their heads. Matthew supplied, "We felt it. We felt all of the… whatever it was, but we had no clue as to what was actually happening."

North quirked an eyebrow. "And Tino? Did he not tell you?"

Alfred made a face. "We didn't hear from Tino for a couple of weeks after everything calmed down. I think it hit him really hard." He paused, realizing he hadn't answered the question. "And no, he didn't tell us about whatever you're talking about."

Jack glanced at the older guardian, who was looking a little confused at the development. Why had North not told them about these guys? He understood why he didn't know. He was new and everything... but the other guardians, besides North, didn't know about them either. After a moment of thought he resigned that he would have to save the question for later and continued to explain. "Well, basically… everyone stopped believing in us. Everyone except a kid named Jamie. And-"

Suddenly, Alfred interrupted. "Wait, Jamie? Where's he from?"

The winter spirit blinked. "Um… Pennsylvania. Burgess. His last name is Bennett."

The American's eyes glazed over for a moment and he stared into space. The room was silent and Tooth was about to ask what was going on when Alfred blinked a few times and sat straighter. "Oh, Jamie. He's cool. Has a great heart."

While Jack blinked in surprise, Tooth managed to ask, hovering over the ground once more, "How did you…?"

Alfred shrugged, giving them a lopsided smile. "One of the perks of being a nation, I guess." Again, he didn't really answer the question, but he didn't seem as bothered by it this time. "So, why did they all stop believing in you? I know it didn't just happen here. It was everywhere."

"Well…" Jack sighed softly, frowning at the thought of the Boogeyman. "That would be because of Pitch…" He looked to see if there was any recognition in their eyes, but, as he suspected, there was none. "Otherwise known as the-"

A loud clack came from above them, making the twins jump and turn around. Jack followed their gaze, his icy eyes flickering up the stairs and over to the railing, where he spotted a phone on the ground and… a man with unruly blond hair and the same aged eyes as Alfred and Matthew. The feeling around him was stronger, which probably meant he had lived for much longer. The guy was staring at them open mouthed, one eye twitching every now and then, his expression as if they had personally offended him.

If the situation wasn't so serious, Jack would have snapped a picture and called it a Kodak moment.

The room was silent for a few moments before Matthew began quietly, "…Arthur…" The name, however quietly spoken, seemed to snap the man out of it. Arthur blinked a moment later and threw his hands up in frustration, nearly shouting, "Bloody hell, can you make this any more complicated..?"


	10. Chapter 10

Despite it all, introductions after that went… fairly well. Arthur seemed to get over the fact that there were magical guardians in the room, though he kept murmuring and cursing under his breath, generally saying, in a way not suitable for children, that things could never be easy for him. While he didn't know if that was true, the man did make it a little easier on them by explaining what a nation was a little more clearly.

And, when he said easy… it was easy to explain up until a flying green bunny appeared next to Arthur's shoulder, along with several fairies. At that point… Jack thought Sandy was tricking him, but then it was pointed out that, well, the green bunny was real.

…Sure… why not?

While he tried to process that information, Arthur couldn't seem to stop muttering. He obviously knew more than Alfred and Matthew did, which didn't surprise him considering… He didn't think anything could surprise him anymore, even if he didn't know these guys. For the moon's sake, he was standing in front of America, Canada, and, if the accent was anything to go by, England. Still, after a minute or two, the brit stopped and turned towards them, his eyes still wary. The wariness did seem to be overshadowed by curiosity, however. "What brings all of you here?"

At this point, he knew Alfred and Matthew were at a loss about pitch's attempt at a comeback, but Arthur? He would have expected different, if only because the guy seemed to know them and he had fairies floating behind him. He explained, because those fairies looked about as protective of Arthur as Tooth's mini fairies were of her, "We were just looking for leads about a possible nightmare attack. Know anything about it?"

The nation raised an eyebrow, which looked kind of hard considering how big they were, and frowned. "Not exactly…" While Jack didn't like the sound of that, the nation paused for a brief moment before he inquired, "And who would be leading this assault..?"

Bunny answered, saying the name like it was the worst insult imaginable. "Pitch Black."

While he nodded at the name, there was a sudden change in Arthur's expression. There was no real recognition, but his questioning look became more guarded, like the name itself had told him to be wary. Then, a few seconds later, his eyebrows knit together. Jack knew the expression well. It was similar to how he looked when he was trying to look into one of his memories.

Alfred looked between the man and the guardians, though sky blue eyes lingered on the brit, concerned. His eyes seemed to un-cloud for a moment before they turned towards him and went right back to being glazed over. He muttered, his words slow, "…why does this sound like something from the Nightmare Before Christmas..?"

The winter spirit snorted softly in amusement, while North made a face that was completely the opposite. "Bah, that movie was no good. Halloween cannot replace Christmas. It-"

Jack leaned in on his crook and whispered playfully, at the risk of the age old 'my holiday is more important than yours' argument starting, "I think mister Jack-o-Lantern would disagree."

North, along with Bunnymund, rolled his eyes; while Tooth only shook her head at them as she listened to what Jack thought was a progress report from Baby Tooth. After a moment she nodded and smiled slightly, so he supposed it was good news.

Arthur looked a little puzzled, and before jack could try and explain he noticed Sandy hopping, trying to get their attention. The winter spirit immediately blinked and turned towards the older guardian, nodding to tell him to go on. When he noticed north was still going on about how great Christmas was he elbowed him lightly with his crook, effectively shutting him up. Sandy smiled a bit at that before he formed an arrow and directed it so that it was pointing to the twins on the couch. He motioned towards jack and then back to the two before he pointed the arrow at the rest of the guardians and motioned towards Arthur. For a moment, Jack wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that (after all, he wasn't about to be excluded again) but Sandy only smiled and shrugged, as if he were saying, 'Those two could use a little fun.'

The winter spirit glanced at them and, seeing their expressions, nodded in agreement. They could use a bit of something to do and he would be glad to give it. He looked up at North to make sure and the man nodded, clapping him on the shoulder. With a smile and another nod jack made his way to the twins.

"Hey," he greeted, gaining their attention. He smiled at them and noticed how similar and how different they looked from when he had seen them as a child. He also noticed how they were tuned in to what was going on behind him. It was true that it was easier to think about fun things than serious things, but this would be a bit harder to divert. "You guys look like you could use a little fun. How's a snowball fight sound?"

Matthew raised an eyebrow, but met his eyes, seeing as the other guardians had yet to breach the topic they were waiting to hear about. Alfred made a face. "But aren't they going to talk about..?"

Jack nodded, leaning against his crook. "Yeah," He answered, "But they should have some real answers by the time we're finished." He leaned forward, his smile slipping into a more serious expression. Truth be told, he was concerned about them and, even if he didn't know exactly how long this had been going on, he knew they could use some time out of the house. "They're going to be talking about things that are way past our time, anyway."

The older twin nodded, though he still looked unsure. Jack didn't blame him. He just wanted answers and the guardian had spent practically all of his immortal life seeking those. Alfred, on the other hand, still looked like he was having trouble holding on to the conversation. Jack slowly smiled at them and stood straighter, saying offhandedly, "Besides, you wouldn't want to miss a snowball fight with Jack Frost."

Matthew's eyes widened almost immediately and jack was not disappointed to see excitement in them. He knew Canada loved snow because… well… it was Canada. And Matthew was no different. His expression mellowed a tad a moment later though as he turned to his brother, as if to ask if it was alright.

Alfred nodded slowly in agreement and managed a smile. "Yeah, let's have a snowball war." He looked up at the spirit of winter. "I bet you can make awesome snow forts."

Jack laughed and nodded, thinking of the many forts he had built for himself before he had become a guardian and those he was made with kids. "Oh, you have no idea."

The two smiled, their problems seemingly falling to the back of their minds. That was what fun did; it made things simpler, made the worst of things seem small and the best of things gigantic and in reach. As shown when they had defeated Pitch, it could do the impossible.

While jack, seeing that they were in agreement, went for the door, Alfred called, "hey, uh, we kind of need coats, dude. Wait a sec."

The guardian nodded and let them stand and make their way to grab their coats, but, with a smirk, he agreed, "Okay, I'll wait a second." The two seemed to know what he was going to do and looked up, wide eyed. He grinned and opened the door, the wind blowing inside ot greet him. "Okay, its been a second. I'd hurry before all the snow is mine!" With that, he jumped into the wind and quickly shut the door, hovering above the walkway and into the snow covered yard. The winter spirit laughed and let the wind set him down. in seconds there were large amounts of perfectly packed snowballs all over, as he assumed it would be a free for all as soon as they got outside.

After a couple of seconds he heard the door open and close, and turned only to duck a moment later at the snowball heading straight towards him. He looked up to see that Matthew had been the one to throw, the nation now smiling and another snowball already in his hand. He threw it up in the air and caught it again, Alfred behind him trying to make his own snowball. "Next time, I wouldn't have your back turned."

As soon as he had said it, Alfred disappeared from behind him. And by disappear he meant… disappeared. Completely. Jack's icy blue eyes widened, thinking he something terrible had happened, but Matthew's smile only shifted into a smirk. The spirit raised an eyebrow and looked around, but before he could even begin to get into the wind he felt the familiar 'whack' of snow against his head, though this time it was a stronger throw than anything a child had ever hit him with. A burst of white cascaded from around his head and little snowflakes fell around his face. He turned to see Alfred laughing his head off, staggering to the side.

"Worth it…" He muttered, shaking his head to try to clear the dizziness away, "So worth it."

He smiled, though he was a bit confused, when he heard a snowball coming in from behind. Immediately he swiped the snow with his crook and sent a hastily made snowball in the other direction, ducking just as quickly. He heard a plop in front of him, signaling that Matthew's snowball had nailed Alfred, and the American was only laughing more because of it.

Jack quickly packed another snowball while Matthew was making his own, though the winter spirit finished it quicker. He had just enough time to add a bit of his magic into it before a snowball sailed for his head. "Quick," He called, actually impressed, "but not quick enough!" He took a few running steps away and sent his own ammo, which nailed the nation on the side of his face. For a moment he watched as the smile grew into a grin and Matthew was laughing as he tried to grab one of the Jack's premade snowballs. The winter spirit smiled widely as Matthew called to his brother, saying, "Al, get up, i-its fort time."

He turned to see Alfred slowly trying to do so, calling back, "Okay, just a sec..!" seeing as it looked like the American hadn't had sleep in days his muscles were obviously trying to work on what little energy they could find. Jack looked up and nodded to the wind, who kindly pushed Alfred to his feet. For a moment the nation looked around and in that moment jack sent a snowflake his way (he didn't think a snowball to the face would do as well). It landed in between Alfred's eyes near his temples and the same magic went to work. Moments later he was laughing and rushing towards his brother to help create some fort to aid in stopping the upcoming assault.

Jack grinned and went to work making a rather basic fort. He didn't like play unfair, and making a heaping castle wall as a fort would definitely suffice as unfair. Still, he added his own touches, making it look similar to an igloo without a top. He even added a frozen lantern on the side, swinging back and forth in the wind. He turned to see that the twins were still working on theirs, though they had a good sized wall already made.

It seemed that Alfred had a great deal of strength that he was too tired to regulate because he couldn't really pat the wall without it trying to tumble down. Jack had to laugh at the attempt and swung his crook, making the wall sturdier and a bit castle like.

"Aw, no fair." The American called.

"I was helping you!"

The two laughed again and when he next turned Matthew was only a few feet away from him. He ducked and ran behind his shelter. "Whoa," He muttered, grabbing another snowball and skillfully pitching it over the side, "how did you do that?" He always heard feet crunching in the snow.

Matthew laughed lightly and shrugged, taking a snowball that Alfred sent his way. Slowly, his face melted into a more serious expression. "Well, I think it's obvious, Jack."

The guardian peeked over the wall, his eyebrows furrowing.

The Canadian said, with a completely straight face, "I'm a ninja."

There was a moment of silence before all three of them burst into laughter and it rapidly escalated into a free for all.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The door shut fairly quickly as the twins rushed outside, Alfred trailing just a tad behind his brother. Arthur managed a small smile at that before it fell just as suddenly and he turned to the other guardians. "You said Pitch Black. I know that name…" It was somewhere in his head, scratching, trying to be set free. It kept whispering, 'the nightmare king, the nightmare king…' For a moment his teeth were set on edge before he asked, "What is he?"

The figures glanced at each other and he was afraid that he had asked the question the wrong way, but they only frowned and the tall rabbit- he thought he had seen a species like that before in one of his oldest books… a Pooka, wasn't it?- answered with no small amount of hate, "The boogeyman."

He nodded, his eyebrows furrowing. The boogeyman, the nightmare king… What did those have to do with each other? What did they have to do with him? He could feel memories tugging as he tried to search through the many centuries he had been alive. Some of them were very, very sharp and he found himself trying to skip over the wars and their entirety completely. Thankfully, he sensed what he was looking for was deeper than that.

Still, he noticed their eyes on him and he glanced up. "Sorry, just give me a moment. He's in here somewhere…"

The tooth fairy nodded immediately in understanding, though she added, a caring tone in her voice, "He was most prominent in the dark ages. I would look there."

Oh… the dark ages. Or, rather, the Middle ages. He had been young in the beginning of those times, so his memories were a bit blurred up to a point. He thought he remembered seeing something there, some dark creature, but it was too hazy to tell. In the bits he could remember a younger and still annoying Francis he could sense more if it, its power growing the older he and the other European nations became. There was a lot that happened in between that and what he really considered to be the dark ages, but he didn't recall anything too worrisome.

He still sifted a bit through it, but came out with nothing. Then, reluctantly… he found the true darkness of the Middle Ages; the Black Plague. His memories during the beginning were clearer than most, seeing as he was an island country. He remembered that, though he had tried to remain ignorant, he had been worried-terrified actually- of what would happened if and when the disease had reached his land, what it would do to his people. He could seem to recall it being like a shadow was creeping over the land.

And then it all became like a gigantic mud puddle. There was death and sickness and darkness and fear… Not to mention the meaningless blame that rose from trying to make sense out of a disaster. He could only remember a handful of things of those years, none of which were very coherent. Afterwards, when the population had risen and stabilized, he could recall a few nightmares, especially in the relapses of the sickness. Arthur could remember a voice from somewhere that said, "I'm not leaving yet."

He shuddered involuntarily and shook his head, trying to push that away. That settled… he thought he had heard the term 'the nightmare king' from whispers of the Fae and other magical beings.

"Arthur?"

Said man's emerald eyes flicked upwards to meet the Tooth Fairy's. She looked concerned, though he found himself a bit curious as to why. He shook his head a little once more, pushing the memories away into their crevice. "I'm alright, there's just a bit in here." After a deep breath, he continued. "I remember him. Grant it, most of it is blurry, but…" He trailed off, remembering what he had caught from their conversation earlier. "He rose up three years ago, I believe. That was what you were talking about."

They looked relieved that he knew about it and a few of them nodded. He looked to the Sandman, who had formed a question mark above his head. Arthur raised an eyebrow, but the Easter bunny clarified.

"How did you know about it?"

Arthur shrugged slightly, looking over his shoulder at the Fae's who were chatting with the little mini tooth fairy. "Through my friends, I suppose." He frowned, recalling that day. "I never heard it directly so much as through whispers. The loss in belief… it didn't only effect you, if effected them as well." It had been frightening. Some of the Fae could no longer fly, his unicorn had stopped visiting… a few of his friends had looked all but transparent. One day he found a few had disappeared, only to reappear stronger after all was said and done. "And let me tell you I do not want that to happen again."

The figures nodded and he glanced at Father Christmas, who clapped his hands together. "Right, you are probably wondering about our visit." He wasted no time in getting to the point. "We think that Pitch is rising again."

Well that was what Jack had meant by a nightmare attack… Emerald eyes narrowing, Arthur frowned deeply. "So soon?"

"Yes. We don't know how, and I really don't know how much his powers have regenerated, but…"

The Englishman nodded, the other… he wasn't sure what they called themselves. The others watched him, awaiting his answer. "It would seem so…" Not that he wanted to believe it. No one needed a new dark age. He didn't even want to begin to think about what fear would bring in its wake these days, especially with modern weapons… He supposed he could only hope that the boogeyman stuck with effecting children as he had last time. Still not ideal, but… He pushed the thought away for now and continued explaining. "I felt a presence at my house similar to what I remember. Matthew said that he heard footsteps in his house as well. And Alfred…" He sighed, knowing that the mention of the lad was all that was needed. They nodded and the rabbit- Arthur paused.

Immediately, the Sandman seemed to understand what he was thinking. The little man hopped up, a golden cloud of sand forming beneath his feet, and pointed to himself. Instead of a picture, this time he was greeted with a word. 'Sandy.' He pointed to the others and went in order. 'Bunny- or Bunnymund, Tooth, North, and,' For the missing place of the one that was outside with his boys he wrote, 'Jack.'

Arthur nodded and North added, a proud smile on his face, "We are the guardians."

Hmm… guardians. That seemed appropriate. Still, he found himself asking, "Of what?"

Tooth answered this time, her kaleidoscope wings humming lightly, "Memories." When he raised an eyebrow, she smiled. "In the teeth. My fairies and I protect them."

Oh… well, so much for his childhood memories. He still nodded, thinking of all the children in his land, and turned to North. The man grinned and said, "Wonder." Next, Bunnymund gave a slight smile. "Hope." They turned to the Sandman and he only looked at them, giving a light smirk. He shrugged as if to say, 'Take a guess.'

"Ah…" Arthur nodded, folding his arms over his chest. "Dreams." When the man nodded, he glanced out the windows by the front door, watching, a smile forming at the edge of his lips, as he saw Alfred and Matthew romping around like they were six year olds out in the snow. He saw the guardian in question running around with them, sometimes hovering above the ground or conjuring more snowballs. "And him?"

"He is fun." North answered, also turning to gaze out the window. For a moment he saw something in the man's blue eyes, something he thought he recognized from his own. He, along with the others, certainly cared for the younger spirit… After a moment of watching the carefree boys, as if they were in another world from their own, they turned back to him, their expressions once again serious.

"Right." Arthur agreed, nodding. "On to business."

He had already called Francis and, as frustrating and cut on time as it had been, the conversation had yielded results. Alfred wasn't the only one- besides himself- who was having nightmares; Matthew wasn't the only worried brother… He wasn't sure why the boogeyman was targeting who he was. Maybe there was no rhyme or reason; it was only a spur of the moment kind of plan. But there was something that told him otherwise…

He had many more nations to call and he was sure that he would find more than one with sleeping troubles. He was also sure he didn't have much time before someone arrived, whether it was Pitch or Lovino that got to them first.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Gilbert was really, really sure sometimes that no one had a brother that was as stubborn as his.

West liked to act tough and everything, which wasn't really a big deal. He got that from him, probably because he had always acted like nothing was wrong and he was some big unmovable empire. But right now… Ludwig really needed to cut the crap.

The nightmares were getting worse. The things that had slowly been dwindling since the country had been unified and the wall had fallen were now skyrocketing. He didn't think they had been this bad since… he hadn't even been here to see them when they had been this bad.

Ludwig had called him overprotective a few nights ago when he had kept checking to make sure he was okay, and maybe he had been a little bit… but now there was nothing 'over' about it. His brother was hardly calling him out on it now either. The stupid things had gone from somewhat vague to happening multiple times a night…

It had only been, what, two days since they had cancelled the meeting? Gott…

Gilbert had finally sat West down today after he had come home from the store to find his brother glaring at nothing and then proceeding to yell at it. That was what he was doing now, and Ludwig was being far from cooperative.

"West, what was it? You don't have to tell me exactly, but I need to know if it was a flashback or-"

Ludwig only answered, his voice low, "Neither." He didn't look up from the table and his arms were still crossed. He hadn't changed since he was little…

The older German bit back a sigh and nodded slowly. He kept his voice even when he agreed. "Okay… what was it then?" Across from him, his brother slumped slightly in his seat and made the face he always made when he didn't want to answer. "West… I will not think you're crazy." Still no answer. Now gilbert sighed. He flexed his fingers, staring down at the table for a moment before he tried to meet his brother's eyes again. "Remember when I got back from… behind the wall?"

Ludwig paused, his eyes finally blinking before they met the ruby ones staring back at them. He bit his lip before he nodded slightly and answered, "Yes…"

"And you remember how I acted?"

Again, West nodded. "Yes."

Gilbert leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He tested the waters a moment. "I wasn't here after the war, so…" Ludwig barely flinched, but he still let him finish his sentence. The older nation's expression softened just a little. "So I'm helping now."

Silence greeted the kitchen after that and his brother averted his eyes. Neither of them were the touchy feely kind of people, but… when it came to their wellbeing… they could manage. Still… mental wellbeing was both a touchier and a more comfortable subject once in because both of them had had their share of things going wrong up there.

Finally, when Gilbert thought he was going to have to come up with something else to say, Ludwig whispered, "Alright…" With a blink, gilbert nodded, telling him to go when he was going to go. His brother was silent for a good while, his eyes trained on the table.

That gave gilbert a little time to think too. This could be a relapse… it hadn't been all that long, in nation terms, since the war had ended and… Well, it was still pretty raw. Some things could still trigger memories, others could bring nightmares crashing down. West had seemed fine a couple of days ago, but that didn't mean something hadn't happened.

"There was a voice…"

The older German blinked and looked up once more. Ludwig bit his lip, his hands curling into light fists. He glanced up just a moment to see if he had been heard and that it was alright for him to go on. When gilbert nodded, he slowly did.

"I thought… I don't know. It was… hard to describe." His eyebrows furrowed, his cerulean eyes narrowing.

Gilbert questioned offhandedly, "Have you heard it before?"

Ludwig paused for a few moments and opened his mouth. When no sound same out, he shrugged a little. "I… think so. Somewhere… Maybe in a nightmare, I don't know."

Gilbert could tell that West was getting frustrated. He wasn't sure exactly what tipped him off; the tightness of his voice, his body language, something, but it was clear. "It's okay if you don't know west…" There was something in his brother's face that said he should have. He continued, "What did it sound like?"

When Ludwig was silent and the only thing he was greeted with was a shudder, Gilbert's expression softened. "West…"

His brother's teeth set and his eyes flicked up. He managed, his voice tight, "It sounded like everything."

At the information, Gilbert's eyes narrowed, though he did little else. He nodded slowly. "Okay…" He wasn't sure what 'everything' entailed, but he needed to find out. Yet, he waited for Ludwig to continue. And, slowly, his brother's posture changed. He slumped further against the table and shut his eyes, one hand meeting his forehead to rub his temple. He explained, his voice full of an anger that Gilbert was used to, but didn't like to hear. "It was like everything that ever went wrong in that war… it was different people, it was him, it was the people that I slaughtered…" His voice did more than crack; it chocked.

Gilbert's heart sank and he grabbed a hold of his brother's wrist, rubbing it with his thumb. "West…" He had said the next thing so many times, but he found it always needed to be reminded. "It wasn't your fault, bruder."

Ludwig gritted his teeth again, but said nothing else, his breathing labored. The older brother only waited and took the hint, only saying something when it was necessary, and when he did speak it was only to assure that it was alright; that they could not control what their people did or had done.

That was a hard truth as a nation and it was one that Ludwig was still trying to accept.

Eventually, though, his brother calmed down. His breathing slowly retook its usual rhythm and he relaxed a bit, nodding in his direction. "Danke, bruder…"

Gilbert gave his usual smile and nodded. "Anytime." After a moment he looked around, debating on if he should make something to eat or not, when suddenly… He jumped ever so slightly as the phone rang, it's annoying high pitched voice screaming like some old mother in law, 'Answer me!' He sighed and met Ludwig's eyes. His brother nodded, saying he was okay, and Gilbert walked to the living room. At the third ring he had the phone in hand and clicked the answer button.

"Hallo?"

"Hello, Gilbert." Arthur sounded just as irritated as the phone had, so the internal mother in law quip hadn't been far off. "Look, I'm sorry to call so late, but I need to ask something."

That was odd…His eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded nonetheless. "Alright… go for it."

"Has there been anything unusual happening lately? Have you or Ludwig had any…"

While Arthur trailed off, sounding unsure as of how to ask that question, Gilbert felt his stomach drop. He wasn't even sure why or how Arthur would know about this… it wasn't like he told his drinking buddy this crap. "…nightmares?"

There was a crinkle of static through the phone line. "Yes. How many have-"

"Shitloads. Not me, but Ludwig." If West was in trouble than- "Why? What's going on? West said there was some kind of voice and it- " He didn't know why he was actually believing that there was some weird supernatural thing going on, or why he was saying this, especially since Ludwig had only just told him it and he was sure there was some brotherly privacy policy… But-

"Oh God- okay, has there been anything else? At all. Even if it doesn't seem very strange."

"Um…" He racked his brain, thinking of anything besides the nightmares and Ludwig's voice thing that had been out of the ordinary. He took a few steps in another direction, pacing as much as the he could. "I- I mean, no, I don't think there's been anything. Besides that it's been pretty much norm-…" He turned and what he saw made him freeze. "Agh!"

He could hear Arthur's voice from the speaker despite the fact that it was tumbling towards the floor. "Gilbert?! What is it?"

His voice seemed to break him out of his stillness and he frantically tried to grab the phone, his eyes still glued to the window, his heart thumping against his chest like it wanted out. "I-it-" All the while he heard Ludwig call from the kitchen and his brother's footsteps rushing into the living room.

By the time the footsteps got to him, Gilbert was trying not to cough up anything. A hand rested on his shoulder and his brother stepped forward, staring along with him at the Russian currently outside their window in inches of snow. The older German brought the phone to his ear and managed, "It's Ivan…"

The Russian smiled his terrifying smile at him from outside, knocking his spigot on the window. He read his lips as he asked, "Can I come inside?"

Arthur was spluttering on the other end. "Ivan? What is Ivan doing in-"

Gilbert answered, his voice a bit too high, "I don't know..! But he looks like he wants to murder me!"

In front of him, Ludwig sighed. "He always looks like that, bruder…" While Gilbert chocked out, "Not helping," he noticed that his brother was glaring at said man. "I have to let him in so he doesn't freeze, but I am not going to let anything happen." The part of his brother that had clearly been terrified was now pushed back into a corner. "Can I see the phone?"

He numbly went through with the request and Ludwig brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello..? …no, everything is alright. I think. Ivan is outside of our house for some reason. …well- …okay, what were you calling about? I really don't need to keep him waiting." There was a pause and he saw a flash of fear in his brother's eyes again. "…really..? Oh… well… um… …. Yes. i think we can do that, once we find out what Ivan wants. …okay. …okay I will. Danke." He took the phone from his ear and glanced at gilbert. "Would you like to keep discussing this with my bruder?"

There was a pause and he hoped that Arthur had already checked with other nations because he really, really wanted to have an excuse to go to his room and pretend that Ivan wasn't here. When Ludwig nodded and handed the phone to him he released a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. "Hi Arthur. So, can you explain this? That would be great." He didn't care if he didn't sound very attentive because his eyes were still trained on Ludwig as he walked towards the door. "Uh…"

"I can, but I still have other calls to make."

That sounded really cold right now. "Okay, but please just wait until he le-" The door opened and he could see ivan on the other side, spine shattering smile and all. He could hear a voice in his head and vaguely he wondered if it was the one Ludwig had told him about.

 _'He's going to get you,'_ It whispered, cold as ice, _'he's going to take you back with him. Your brother is going to let it happen. He's going to make it happen.'_

That sent a jolt of terror through every atom in Gilbert's body. He shook his head, trying to argue, "No-no he won't…"

_'Oh, but he will. And after that he will never come back. You will be all alone. And guess what? No one will care. No one at all. You won't even be a speck on a map.'_

He couldn't see straight, couldn't breathe. "No I won't, no I won't…"

 _'What will happen to you after he takes you I wonder? What will he do?'_ Oh, gott, no… _'And if you make him angry… oh, Gilbert, imagine that.' ___

__He wanted to scream but his voice wouldn't work. He wasn't sure if he was still standing or sitting or if he was just going to disappear already or-_ _

__"Gilbert! For God's sake, listen to me you bloody idiot!"_ _

__The ex-nation blinked, his head spinning, and he heard tufts of air that seemed to be happening when he was breathing. But that couldn't be. "I- I- s- sorry… I-…"_ _

__When the voice that he blearily recognized as Arthur spoke again, it was softer. "It's alright. It's all alright… Just go to your room and explain what happened if you can. Please."_ _

__There was a little air back in his lungs again. His thoughts weren't spinning as much. Okay… okay, go to his room. Yeah, he could do that. Slowly, gilbert nodded. "O-okay… t-t-thanks…" He turned, knowing better then to look and see if Ludwig or Ivan had seen what had happened, and rushed down the stairs. He could feel memories rushing back, or trying to, and he shut the door. For a moment he thought about locking it, but then a voice in his head said, 'you won't be able to get out' and he quickly thought against it._ _

__Moments later he had placed himself on the bed, one of the dogs next to him, and cradled the phone next to his ear. "Okay…" He breathed, "In my room..."_ _

__"Okay… what happened, Gilbert?" Arthur was actually concerned. He must have really freaked out…_ _

__He took a slow, deep breath, and murmured, "There was a voice… I think it was the- the one that west talked about… it… oh gott…" He shuddered. It was terrifying._ _

__"Alright. I told Ludwig to have the both of you come here after your situation is settled. Can you do that?"_ _

__It felt odd to him that Arthur was asking, but it helped. He supposed the time he could now recall of him freaking out while they were drinking had something to do with it. "Yeah… yeah I can do that."  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _

__"Dude, that was awesome…"_ _

__"I know… Jack, we have to do that again sometime."_ _

__"Yeah, how about… I don't know. How's tomorrow sound?"_ _

__They laughed lightly and Matthew managed to keep Alfred from falling over, despite his brother's assurances that he was fine and he could walk by himself. Both personification and guardian knew that Alfred had expended a lot of energy and he was exhausted, especially since he had refused to sit and watch when they had realized the snow had to be cleaned off the roof before it caved._ _

__Matthew plopped Alfred down on the couch, scanning the room for the other guardians or Arthur. When he rather found nothing, he paused. "Where are they?"_ _

__Next to him, jack shrugged, glancing up the stairs. "I don't know. Sandy might have had to outside somewhere to spread his dreams and Tooth…" Odd, he thought she had set up for the mini fairies to handle it. "She might have had to go back to the Tooth Palace to check on everything."_ _

__"Oh." Matthew waited in silence a few moments before his eyebrows furrowed and he turned his head to the spirit. "There's a tooth palace?"_ _

__Jack nodded, smiling widely at the memory of it. "Yeah, it's a great place. She keeps all of the kids baby teeth there and watches over them." Though the part about teeth would have normally confused a person, Matthew only nodded again._ _

__"Okay… wait… even ours?"_ _

__At that, Jack fell silent. "Uh…" He thought back to the different rooms he had seen at the Tooth Palace on his first visit and those thereafter, but he really… didn't know. "Do you guys lose teeth?"_ _

__Matthew nodded, as if it were obvious. "Yeah. It just takes us a lot longer to lose all of them." He paused and turned to Alfred, who was starting to nod off, and nudged him. The American blinked a few times and shook his head._ _

__"'m up… 'm up, Mr. Maple."_ _

__Jack snorted and leaned against his crook, repeating, "Mr. Maple… That's my new nickname for you."_ _

__The Canadian rolled his eyes, elbowing how brother who in turn elbowed him back. "I prefer the True North, thank you very much."_ _

__The winter spirit smiled, though he did notice that Matthew acted a bit differently when he was just around Alfred than when he was with Arthur and the other guardians. There he was more reserved, quieter, observant… now it was as if he could speak a little more freely._ _

__The conversation would have gone on, but Sandy took that moment to enter the room. He smiled at them and glanced towards Alfred, asking without the use of his sand if he could knock him out. Jack and Matthew shook their heads, the guardian saying, "Not yet," as they still had an explanation to hear. When it was made clear, however, that the other guardians were busy at the moment and that Arthur was still talking on the phone, Matthew's eyes widened and he turned to the golden man._ _

__"Hey… can I ask you something?"_ _

__Sandy nodded immediately, hovering closer to the Canadian on his dream sand cloud. Matthew, however, stood and walked to the fort still standing tall at the center of the living room and crawled inside._ _

__Alfred sat up, his eyebrow's furrowing. "What are you doing, bro?"_ _

__"Just a sec…" There was a bit of shuffling and a movement of a few of the blankets, but moments later Matthew crawled back out, a dream catcher in hand. Jack scrutinized it a moment as it was held out to the sandman, the light making the web seem as if it were glistening. Was that..?_ _

__Sandy took the dream catcher and turned it over, his eyes immediately moving across the web. He ran a finger over one of the strings, which nearly glowed gold in the process._ _

__Matthew blinked and murmured, "Wait…" He leaned down and looked the item over, his eyes narrowing. "I don't understand… the sand was… it was black before."_ _

__At that, Sandy's, and jack's, eyes widened exponentially. He turned to the nation and pointed to the web. Matthew nodded in confirmation, still staring at the web as if it would tell him what happened. Sandy quickly got his attention and formed a picture above his head, though it was more like a scene. It showed a black nightmare horse- though it was gold because of Sandy- going toward some unknown sleeping form. Above the form was a dream catcher. The horse tried to sneak into the dream sand that was already above the forms head, but it got caught in the web. In the scene, the sun began to rise and as soon as the golden beams struck the dream catcher, the sand stuck in it glowed a bright gold. While Matthew and Alfred both had mirrored expressions of awe, Sandy pointed to the dream catcher, sending Matthew a praising look._ _

__Wow… Jack remembered the tale about dream catchers; that the good dreams would flow through the web and that the bad ones were too clumsy and bulky and would become entangled. Only now as a spirit did he realize how true it was._ _

__As Sandy handed back the dream catcher, he turned towards Alfred again, who was trying not to fall asleep. Matthew's expression softened, but he still shook his head. "As soon as Arthur explains."_ _

__The oldest guardian nodded in understanding and quiet footsteps began to descend down the stairs. They all looked to see a rather disgruntled Englishman, who nodded towards them. "Let's get this over with…"  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _

__It was dark. That's what it all seemed to start with, what everything did. Darkness… Maybe that was what it all ended with too._ _

__And then it wasn't so dark anymore. Everything was blurry and… well, it was a little too bright actually, and he could hear something. What he heard, whatever sounds bounced in one ear and cerated out of the other, were probably words. he tried to tell himself that they may have been in another language, but every so often one understandable word would break through the haze. It was never the same one and he could never make sense of it, but for a moment he seemed to be able to tell just what it was. Then in the next moment… it vanished, replaced by another jumble._ _

__The words were sometimes distinct and sharp, sometimes garbled beyond comprehension, but they were never spoken by the same voice._ _

__Shapes were moving in and out around him, blurs of various colors, but he could never tell just who or what they were. He couldn't tell where he was either for that matter. It didn't seem very important to him. It didn't feel wrong to be wherever he was._ _

__At the very most he was curious. At the least he was content to watch whatever was going on around him._ _

__And then, suddenly, everything snapped into focus. Something was placed carefully on the bridge of his nose, and everything became… undeniably clear. The noises changed from unknown words to voices; somehow familiar voices. He blinked rapidly, trying to shake his head into clarity, and tried to shift his eyes around. Despite being able to see forms he couldn't tell what they were at all. His head was pounding too loudly for that. Just where was he?_ _

__Someone was shaking his shoulder as if they were trying to rouse him from the bottom of a pit. He blinked several times, his head spinning and spinning, and turned to look. The process hurt, much more than he would have expected, and when he accomplished it emerald orbs stared urgently into his. Their owner's voice filled his ears a moment later, both relieved and worried and… panicking._ _

__"Oh, thank god… I didn't know he could throw you like that. You've got to get up, lad!"_ _

__His eyebrows furrowed and he became aware of something underneath him, something hard and really, really uncomfortable. Was he… on the floor? Why was he on the floor? And what was arthur…You know what? That didn't really matter… The floor was still kind of soft. He could lie down or… something…_ _

__His body suddenly jolted in another direction and a groan ripped past his lips. "Agh-" He didn't have time to give a piece of his mind to whoever- oh, right… it was Arthur- had shoved him before he found himself being sloppily lifted off of the ground. His head panged, reverberated with pain actually, as he tried to go against his lowering eyelids and assist them. Arthur was indeed in front of him, but he didn't look right... It may have been his head, but… he had scrapes on his face, one of which that was bleeding heavily, and his clothes were a complete and utter mess. The guy never came to a meeti- oh, was that where he was? Why was he in a meeting room? Why didn't he remember getting here? He tried to look around again, but Arthur grabbed his chin and kept him facing towards him, causing the American to wince in process. …why did his head hurt so much?_ _

__Wait…didn't Arthur say someone had thrown him?_ _

__There were shuffling, muffled footsteps around him. More voices were shouting, ones he managed to put faces to. Yao, Ivan, Francis, Gilbert… why were they all shouting? At the loud popping sound that berated his eardrums he almost cried out. Was someone shooting off fireworks?_ _

__Though he tried to pass it off as one of Gil's pranks, especially because he was sure he had the headache of the century and… and he was really tired again, Arthur shook him once more. He almost yelled this time. "Whaaat..?" He managed, his voice somewhere between a loud groan and a whine. "What d'you want, Artie?"_ _

__The Englishman tugged him into a sitting position and his hand flew to grip his head, which felt like it had just been hit with a baseball bat. A metal baseball bat. Arthur apologized under his breath, but he made no move to stop his hurrying or slowdown in the slightest. Instead he stood and quickly pulled him up to his knees, making the world and his stomach sway in several directions he was sure weren't natural._ _

__"Get up, get up! I know he gave you a good hit, Alfred, but you have to help!"_ _

__His stomach churned, his breathing ragged, as he clumsily set his hands on the ground to try and steady himself. "What…" He glanced at Arthur, trying to will every loud noise around him to shut the hell up. "What're you talking about…?"_ _

__Arthur, for whatever reason, looked severely alarmed. "You- oh bloody hell he got you worse than I thought. Matthew, you git, h-" He stopped suddenly and his eyes seemed to find something behind him before they widened, he quickly latched onto his arm, and tugged him forward. He didn't apologize this time and only cried, "Come on, lad, get up! We need to move!"_ _

__"Agh..!" He gritted his teeth together, one hand still gripping the side of his head as if that would make the horrible pounding stop. Did he have a concussion..? Arthur hastily yanked him onto his feet, causing him to grip the man's forearm so tightly it was a surprise he didn't let go completely. Blearily, he tried to think. "…what… Matthew? What about Matthew?" He vaguely recognized the sounds as something bad now, something threatening. "…is he okay..?"_ _

__Arthur looked at him like his head had suddenly burst into flames. "No, no he is bloody well not okay, Alfred, he- LOOK OUT!"_ _

__The shout caused him to buckle over, his ears ringing, and whatever instincts he had were screaming at him to dive under the conference table. He could only feel a slight breeze as something supposedly swung over his head and Arthur cried out and fell backwards onto the ground, clutching one side of his face. His brain tried to figure out what was happening, what they were all saying, but nothing would process... until finally, a second or two later, he turned to see where the blow had come from._ _

__When he was met with empty purple eyes and blood stains on the carpet his head felt like it was going to explode. He stumbled backwards, one hand gripping the table for support and the other grabbing a hold of Arthur's wrist and dragging him along out of pure impulse. His heart felt like it was about ready to jump out of his chest. "M-m-matt?! W-what- why-"_ _

__Matthew only smiled at him, his stance tense but somehow loose at the same time. His smile didn't take its usual form. It wasn't modest or playful, not even teasing. This one was pure madness, a cruel twinge in the way it spiraled upwards. His twin's clothes were ripped in parts, even singed in a few places. Several cuts and bruises littered his arms and legs, but part of him doubted that the blood there was actually his. The American recognized the hockey stick held unwavering in his grip. Matt laughed loudly, the smile on his face widening. With a chill, he realized it reminded him of the Joker. "H-hey Alfie! Havin' fun?"_ _

__His eyebrow's furrowed and he tried to remember how to breathe. "Matt, what's… what's going on..?" he glanced frantically around the room, noticing more blood stains and several unmoving bodies on the floor. He felt like he was going to pass out as his head slowly shifted back, the familiar tug of his consciousness wanting to wave and say 'Time out!', his eyes staring into his twins. "…Matt..?" He whispered, almost like he was trying to get some reassuring note in response. That was what he needed; matt telling him it was going to be okay. This had to be some kind of joke… like April Fools or something, even if he was sure it was nowhere near April._ _

__For a split second he realized something odd…very, very odd. He couldn't hear Matthew in his head. At all. His stared a moment, before everything became insatiably loud. He could hear his twins thoughts and they... oh god they were not good. …What was going on..?_ _

__Matthew's smile, if possible, widened even further. The crazy glint in his eyes kept growing like a shadow splaying across his iris. "Oh, you've forgotten now too, huh? Have you?" He cackled, actually cackled, not once moving his weapon, staring at him, his eyes wide. "About time! I mean, god, I was wondering how long it would take!"_ _

__His mouth opened and closed again and again, but nothing came out. "I-i-wh-" Arthur was still unmoving in his grip. He was probably unconscious, but he made no move to look, afraid of what would happen if he broke the fragile eye contact. He knew somehow that if he did it would be like shattering broken glass. "M-"_ _

__His twins laughter made a sharp chill run through his body, but when it faded… Matthew's expression shifted, becoming rueful and sarcastic. He still laughed, but… "Too stupid to figure it out, huh, you bastard? Look. Look at what you did to me." His amethyst eyes narrowed , glaring in a way that would have killed any man. "You never remembered me, Al! You're no better than them!" He pointed to the side and this time he got a good look. Yao and Francis were sprawled out on the ground, the former with a viciously bleeding gash on his forehead. Francis seemed marginally unharmed, but… his body was at such an odd angle, like he was trying to do an unconscious contortionist act. He didn't see gilbert anywhere and he was too afraid to consider the possibilities. And Ivan… The Russian was currently trying to push himself off the plaster wall, using his spigot for a shaky support, but it looked like he was failing miserably._ _

__For the first time since… he didn't remember when he had last seen Ivan look that vulnerable, but the man's body was racked with tremors. For the briefest moment his eyes, the same amethyst color as his brother's, met his and… they told him to run. Ivan was actually urging him to…_ _

__He didn't understand. "but- but i…" his eyes stung with fresh tears, the sides of his chest stung and pounded every time he tried to take in a damned breath. He met Matthew's eyes again, trying to keep his voice steady; like he was trying to talk someone down from a ledge. "I always remembered you, Mattie… I never forgot."_ _

__Matthew chuckled softly, swinging his hockey stick absentmindedly, the shifting smile returning. "Yeah… right." His eyes flicked up from the floor, meeting his with an icy resolve. Despite that, his smile melted into a vicious snarl. "You never cared about me. Not once." His nostrils flared a moment, his voice a deadly calm. "Not once did you tell them I was here, not once did you stand up for me." He stopped, having been taking several small steps towards the other nations. He pointed his newly deemed weapon at the others of their kind. "Not once, when Ivan over there sat on me, did you tell him to get the hell off." He could see so much contempt, so much hate, so much bubbling anger in his twins eyes, but there was also no more restraint. The worst kind of chains had been unshackled and with their absence… there was no more sanity. His brother asked, his tone edging into something patronizing, "And do know why you never did any of that, Alfie?"_ _

__He tried to force his mouth to unhinge. In his haste he brought his free hand to his face, wiping the moisture from his eyes, and in the second he lost eye contact he noticed the pistol attached firmly to Matthew's belt. A flurry of thoughts entered his mind so quickly he could barely recognize them before, in an instant, Matthew was suddenly not five inches in front of his face. His twin grabbed him roughly by the collar, holding it so tight in his fist he was cutting off most- if not all- of his airway. Despite the fact that, after a few seconds, he felt his windpipe was being crushed, and he thought he would keel over due to the sheer velocity his head was spinning, Alfred managed a few bleak words. "N-no i… I don't know, Mattie…" His hand that had been gripping the table for dear life finally relinquished its grip and moments later he found it atop of one of his brother's. He knew it was partially to get himself free, to return the oxygen that had been stolen so readily from his lungs, but it was also because he knew somewhere on the roller coaster of a concussion he was now riding that he had to get through to his brother. There were no other options. He chocked, never shifting his eyes away, "I love you, bro… I- I do re-remember…"_ _

__He could hear thoughts whirring through Matthew's mind, bouncing in every direction across every emotion. So much… so much hate. He didn't think he had felt that since he had first been able to hear his twin's thoughts; since Arthur had ended one spell too many in error and had linked them. So much of hatred, and yet, somewhere in there… a tiny spark of confusion was lit, dim as it may be. That gave him hope. If he let go of Arthur maybe he could grab the gun…_ _

__…He wasn't even holding Arthur any longer. He assumed that the Brit had slipped through his fingers at some point during… he wasn't sure how long he had been hovering just above the ground, his lungs burning. It felt like an eternity. He should probably move… Jeez, his head was pounding… Shit… He tried to move his fingers an inch, to command them to grip his brother's fingers and push them away, to grip the gun and fling it into nonexistence. The scientific part of his brain was scrambling with formulas, telling him just how long he had until he lost consciousness. Great, he wanted to say, that helps so much. He had to get through to his brother, he had to do something. He was not about to have it end like this. He reached out a trembling hand…_ _

__And then Matthew, as suddenly as he had taken his air, gave it back. He relinquished his grip completely… and let go. He took a step back. For a moment, everything was silent. It was as if nothing had happened. And then his brother started to laugh. Soft, sporadic chuckles escaped as he backed further and further away from him. Soon enough he was in hysterics, his laughter echoing through the room._ _

__Alfred watched, his stomach dropping as constantly as if he were sky diving, as he took solitary gasps of air. He tried to take a slow step forward, but Matthew recovered in a flash. He swiftly removed the gun from his belt and cocked it in his direction, smiling something like the old teasing smirk that would appear some nights, slowly wiping his eyes with the other hand. "Oh…" He muttered, his voice dripping with amusement, "That was rich…"_ _

__His head was spinning again, even without a hand squeezing his throat. His legs wobbled uncontrollably. The world was fading in and out now, but Matthew was, somehow, still morbidly clear. With labored breaths, he tried to focus, but his head was so heavy…_ _

__The sound of wood clattering against nonexistent carpet zigzagged through his eardrums. His head snapped up as he wobbled against the edge of the table, one hand resting at the very corner to keep his balance. His eyes(when had he shut them?) blinked open and the image that greeted him stole any breath he had regained._ _

__Matthew had the gun cocked against his head, his other arm spread out wide as if to say, 'come and stop me!' The same arm fell a moment later and the amethyst eyes met his once more, a smile playing at the edge of his lips. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to sleep when someone else is talking?" For a moment his voice fell in and out, softer and louder, and seemed laced with two tones, both of which made his vision tunnel far faster than he could imagine possible and the edges of his sight grow to the brink of darkness. Matthew spoke again, clear and concrete, "Goodbye, hero. Or… should I say liar?"_ _

__His vision funneled in and out, faster and faster, as his eyes and body grew heavier. He was aware that he was bending over, but his entire body was numb and blearily cold. He… he tried to take a step, but before the thought could even process his sense of hearing exploded and his head felt as if it had been shattered with a pick axe. His eyes slammed shut, trying to block out any and every external stimulus around him. Not just the feel but the sound of his teeth grinding against one another made him want to stab himself with some blunt instrument… and then he heard something crumple to the floor. It wasn't him. He was still, somehow, on two feet. His azure eyes slowly opened to greet the rest of the world… and the part that had removed itself in a splatter of blood as red as the leaf on its flag._ _

__He… he couldn't take his eyes away. He- he couldn't… what…_ _

__Something ripped out of his throat. He couldn't hear what it was or come to decipher it, but it hurt. It hurt. Adrenaline fueled his movements before he could process them, before he could feel the salty tears running down his cheeks, and he was there in that splash of red._ _

__He didn't… he didn't know what he was doing. He was… he was waiting. It felt like he was standing still, but he knew somewhere that his arms were moving, that he was checking vitals again and again and again. He knew his eyes kept flitting to the red, but he thought he was only staring at one person._ _

__At one… at one body._ _

__He was already on his knees but it felt as though they were giving out on him. A sharp beat raced through his veins and he wanted so, so desperately for it to be his brothers. But it wasn't…_ _

__"Matt..?"_ _

__He knew so many nations never heard his brother's wonderful voice. They had never heard the reassuring tone on nights tortured by the past and those too afraid to face the present, never heard the light in a nation that was so widely forgotten and overlooked when he should have been reveled in. They never heard him laugh or sing or speak a single word. …And, as only silence was spoken in return, he now realized that he was one of them._ _

__He couldn't hear Matthew. Everything was silent... even the link they had shared by something as inseparable as magic had not a second of sound to be heard._ _

__"Nations…" Was that his voice? He didn't even recognize it anymore. "Nations… can'tdie." He whispered it as if that would make it true, like it would make his twin open his eyes again. Alfred said again, "Nations can't die…" …Nothing happened._ _

__He couldn't explain the panic that cut his breaths into fractions, the exhaustion that wanted to drive him into the ground and beyond. It felt like his legs were giving out over and over and over again and it just wouldn't stop. Bile rose in the back of his throat and his barely managed to move away, his hands trying in vain to support his weight. He swallowed the putrid mixture, but that didn't stop the lump in his throat from growing._ _

__He sobbed because it was silent… it was so, so silent._ _

__No one tried to help him. … No one tried to agree with him that their kind could not die in this way. …No one moved at all._ _

__…It was all black, because that's how everything began and, in the end, that's what everything became, his vision included. The words fell from his lips one last time, broken and muffled._ _

__"Nations can't d-die…"_ _

__The silence mocked him, along with the unmoving bodies of his friends, his family. Francis never stopped his act, Yao's cut never healed, Gilbert never reappeared, and Ivan never got up from where he had collapsed on the ground… Arthur never tried to shake him out of this nightmare. He was alone…_ _

__And his brother was right… He was such a liar._ _

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"He's mine!"  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Sandy thought he could tell immediately when someone was having a bad dream. It was fairly easy. He would feel a shift in his dream sand, a dark touch that embedded itself in the stream of gold._ _

__But, as the universe had it, there were so many dreams out there; as many as there were people in the world. He tried his best to keep track of them all, to keep a constant watch over them as he had pledged so very long ago to do, but every now and again… one got the best of him. It slipped through his defenses so seamlessly that he realized only too late what was happening._ _

__When it came to other guardians, other spirits, tracking and protecting a dream became more difficult. Their dreams were harder to locate, harder to sense underneath the haze of sleep. In the case of these nations… the task proved to be even more of a challenge. He already realized that these personifications had layers to them, even when not conscious. He knew that before he had met them in person because he had been sensing their dreams for centuries. In nations there were always present whispers to he hear, shifting and changing, whenever he managed to find them and use his beloved sand; their people's thoughts and voices. It was really a beautiful thing. They had so many hopes and dreams inside of them, so much potential. And somewhere below all of that lovely noise- a place unique to each of them- was their own consciousness, their being, their dreams._ _

__He was having this trouble now, locating the others of their kind and trying to see if their flow of dreams was somehow disrupted. Suffice to say… when he realized in the middle of that process that Jack's newest friend was having the nightmare of his life in the same parameters as him … Sanderson knew this was beyond the chaotic spree of nightmares that usually occurred. This was personal and it most definitely had Pitch Black written all over it._ _

__The question was… if it was so close, how had it slipped by him? How had it slipped by all of them?_ _

__To Sandy, that was a question to be dealt with after the unfortunate personification was sleeping peacefully again. He immediately pulled out of anything and everything he had been doing moments before and rushed to the room he knew the American to be supposedly resting in. The others were surprised by the suddenness, yes, but they realized what the cause of commotion was soon enough. When he reached the hallway, however, he wasn't sure if he was surprised or relieved to see the door was open._ _

__Despite not having known the house or its inhabitants for long, he knew who was there._ _

__Sandy had warmed up to Matthew very quickly. Their quietness had sort of… pushed them into the same section of the room. And now the nation had beaten the Guardian of Dreams to the nightmare, which was definitely not something to take lightly. He was about to enter when he heard hurried steps coming from further down the hall. He turned in time to see Arthur barreling down the hallway, though when the man saw him he slowed to a stop. His expression, which had previously been encompassed with worry and panic, shifted to the somewhat guarded one he was used to, but the franticness in his emerald eyes had yet to go out. Slowly, Sanderson formed a question mark over his head, all the while sending a glance into the room to assure Arthur that the two were alright._ _

__Arthur caught his breath and shook his head. "I just… I know. They're alright…." There was something in his tone, something self-deprecating, that caused Sandy to raise an eyebrow. The Briton added under his breath, catching the guardian's eyes, "just thought I heard something is all."_ _

__Despite knowing he couldn't really speak, Sandy opened his mouth and something formed over his head, though he was hardly aware of what it was. He wanted to ask what the nation had been doing because, though he said he was going to try to rest, none of them had believed that he had stopped working. He wanted to ask what he had heard. He also really wanted to give Pitch a piece of his mind, especially because the man had dared to turn his dream sand into the kind of nightmare he sensed behind that door. Still, Arthur glanced into the room, sighing tiredly. "I'll fill you in later… right now I think we both are needed in there."_ _

__Without another word, Arthur stepped inside the room and Sandy followed, though he kept to the edge of the room for the time being and was prepared to give the three their privacy if need be before he used his dream sand._ _

__The first thing he noticed upon entering was that there was still a bit of the nightmare left, clinging to the nation's consciousness. He frowned a bit at that, especially when he saw how distressed Alfred was. The young man's eyes were wide, red rimmed, and he could see a world of something more than terror inside of them. He could see heartbreak._ _

__If he was in another room, sand would have blown out of his ears by now. He had already guessed as much; that Pitch was doing much worse than he ever could have to children with these personifications. He was taking their worst memories, their fears, their insecurities, their personal wishes, and twisting them into some… into a vivid and realistic nightmare. Sandy's golden eyes flicked up and he bid the rest of the nightmare good riddance, letting some of his dream sand whisk it away and transform it back into its original form without knocking the American into oblivion. He would do that afterwards…_ _

__Though he tried not to listen to their conversation, it was difficult not to, especially when he was only a few feet away._ _

__Alfred was muttering, grabbing sloppily at his brother's shoulder, "Dead.. you- you're not dead… right? Y-you did-didn't…" For a moment he chocked, and Matthew quickly shook his head. It looked like whatever his twin hadn't been able to say he had finished elsewhere. For some reason, Matthew looked touched, like he hadn't thought that his brother would even begin to fear whatever he saw._ _

__"No, Alfie… no, I didn't do that. It's okay… I'm okay. We're all okay."_ _

__The American shook his head, hardly trying to get rid of the tears rolling down his cheeks. "B-but you weren't…" His sky blue eyes turned to Arthur, who Sandy noticed looked every bit a father who was going to try to comfort his child. He knew the history between the two countries, knew they had had their ups and downs, but after it all… he sensed that was what they were._ _

__Arthur sat on the edge of the bed next to Matthew, glancing at the Canadian, and rested a hand on Alfred's should. "It's alright, lad… nothing is going to-…" The man's expression softened when the American kept shaking his head. "Alfred…"_ _

__"You were dead…" He whispered, "Everyone was dead… I caused it." He turned to his twin, choking on his words. "I-I am so, so s-sorry, Mattie- I-I d-didn't know a-and you…"_ _

__Matthew's amethyst eyes widened and he immediately leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his brother's shoulders. "Hey... it's okay, it's okay. No one's- everyone's alive, Al. We're all okay." When Alfred turned his head to Arthur, who nodded slowly and assured the same, he relaxed a little._ _

__"Okay…" He muttered, his shoulders slumping, his eyes already half lidded._ _

__Sandy took that as his cue, though he gave them a few moments more, considering that this was probably a rare thing among the three. After those few moments were over, though, he walked over and formed a cloud beneath his feet, hovering at the bed's height. He formed a snowball sized sphere of dream sand and was about to use it when Alfred's eyes widened._ _

__"Oh my god..!" He breathed, groaning, "I fucking remember now! Why the hell didn't I earlier..?" He couldn't see their confused expressions, but he slowly turned his head to Arthur, sounding a bit more alert. "You know when you told us about the boogeyman..? I –I remember a nightmare I had the other day…" He glanced at Matthew, his expression minutely shifting to something unreadable. "You know… that one." When his twin nodded slowly, he continued, meeting Arthur's eyes. "Well he was in it… before it switched to the other thing. His voice was." He paused, as if trying to make sure they understood that information. "He was you. He kept saying he wasn't going to come back, because… you know, I was a kid again… and because I was a kid again… I could remember things from a long time ago." He faltered a moment. "I remember I recognized his voice and…" He paused, his eyebrows furrowing. "I think he was in the house once. Or somewhere near it."_ _

__Arthur looked like someone had slapping him, while Matthew only nodded again. He muttered, "I think you told me about that… a long, long time ago."_ _

__The room was silent for a few moments and Sandy took his opportunity. He threw the glowing ball of sand at Alfred's head and he immediately went limp, his breathing evening out. Above his head, pleasant memories played out, though sometimes it switched to different things; a world that was happy, peaceful, and free; a group of nations smiling and laughing; a woman that Sandy had never seen with two little boys that looked remarkably like the twins._ _

__As he said before... beautiful._ _

__Matthew watched it, a small smile tugging at his lips, while Arthur seemed mesmerized even when he tried not to look. Sandy was about to tell them that they probably shouldn't be watching the American's personal dreams when the doorbell suddenly rang. Alfred didn't react, thankfully, but Matthew turned towards the doorway, his expression torn as he looked down at his brother._ _

__Arthur patted the Canadian's shoulder, assuring, "I've got it, lad." He was about to stand when Matthew asked slowly,_ _

__"…It's Lovino, isn't it?"_ _

__The brit paused and nodded slowly, frowning slightly. "Yes…and Antonio, and the frog… and Feliciano." He added afterwards, "I think Gilbert and Ludwig are going to be here soon as well… and probably Tino."_ _

__Matthew nodded and gently laid Alfred on the bed, giving a smile and a nod in thanks to Sandy, and stood. "I think Lovino might react better to me than he will to you…" He paused. Though he was hardly hesitant, he still added, "If that's alright."_ _

__While Arthur opened his mouth to say something, he seemed to think against it. He seemed to know that Matthew was right… Sandy floated over, nodding to Arthur, who raised an eyebrow before he seemed to understand. He immediately started to protest. "I am not going to-"_ _

__Sanderson ignored him, however, and nodded towards Matthew, another dream sand ball forming in his hand as he motioned towards the door. The Canadian smiled slightly and nodded, leaving the room to greet who Sandy supposed would be a handful to calm down, much less explain the situation to._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanons/info:
> 
> 1) I have/adopted the idea that Gil and Arthur are drinking buddies. I feel like at some point Gil would have had a bad night, which is how Arthur knows more about how to deal with his anxiety in the chapter. 
> 
> 2) I read the English used to burn their baby teeth. So Tooth would have very little if any of Arthur's. 
> 
> 3) "He's mine" is what Arthur thought he heard.


	11. Chapter 11

The night was dark, so much so that a normal set of eyes wouldn't have been able to see five feet in front of them without a flashlight. The void that accompanied it seemed to suck in everything in its wake; the roads, the trees, the water… even the sky.

Flashing gold and piercing silver eyes looked up at the endless expanse of black, only marred by pinpricks of light. Stars, planets, satellites… He had never really disliked stars as much as he did their manmade moving counterparts. There was something familiar about them, something that in all his years of isolation he could not bring himself to loathe.

And, maybe, tonight was a little different. The moon, with all of its light and its blasted protection of all things good, was missing. It was marvelous… Grant it, he could still see something like a silhouette of the scrap pile, but that didn't bother him. It would not hinder him, either.

"Pah…" Pitch laughed softly, shaking his head. New moon indeed… if only it could stay 'new' every night.

The whispers in his mind readily agreed, and he began to scan his surroundings. Trees sporadically dotted the landscape, though there was more than enough surrounding him. Pulled from his musings, his eyes turned down to his feet. Dirt… rocks. A path most likely. Perhaps he had stumbled near a cabin...

The setting looked familiar, and he smirked a bit, reminding himself of just how stupid those other spirits were. They hadn't found it, and he doubted they even knew about it.

A soft whinny came from behind him and the Nightmare King turned, eyeing the wispy horse behind him in curiosity. "Yes?" The smirk he had forgotten to put away widened and the creature took a skittish step back. Truth be told, he was delighted to have his nightmares at his side again, but a little fear never hurt anything.

After a moment of merely staring at him, his creation whinnied again, this time louder. The message instantly translated and he quirked an eyebrow. "…really?" He wasn't surprised so much as he was… appeased. It had taken them long enough! Knowing that, he should probably check in on the progress those idiots were making, but… it couldn't be much, honestly.

The golden eyes still trained on him rekindled his attention. Nodding slightly, Pitch began to wave the creature off. "Yes, thank you. Go run off now. I'm sure there are some lovely dreams to ruin." With a nod of its head, the horse began to do so. Tendrils of sand swirled around its legs and, not more than ten seconds later, it had all but disappeared from sight.

He allowed himself a moment of content, feeling the fear from so many different subjects filter into his veins. With every kick, a surge of adrenaline; every wail, an ache that drained away; every ounce of fear, a meal that nourished his underfed spirit. This was going splendidly… He would be back to full strength in no time. His eyes narrowed, though, a moment later and the light in them nearly seemed to glow. No, no, he would not get overconfident this time around. Already, there were assurances he had planned, though he had to wait… Good things came to those who waited.

For a few moments all was quiet. Different voices entered his mind, flying through so briefly he sometimes questioned if they were there. But… they were. He focused on a surprised scream of a young boy, then the frantic pulse of some other child, and then… the shadows melded with him and, almost immediately, he was searching through hundreds of thousands of dark alleys and unlit rooms to reappear in. In seconds he had traveled miles away from his previous location and, the more he listened, the more he searched. Where was a nice spot he could land? Where was a place he hadn't visited?

There were plenty of nations that he hadn't come across, both in terms of the personifications themselves and their people. At the moment, though… he would focus on the people within the nations. There was no need to draw more attention, at least not yet. Soon… soon they would all know. There would be no denying his return, and, hopefully, no deciphering his plan. Soon he would be, quite literally, on top of the world.

China, Thailand, Turkey, Poland, Switzerland… He swept through the nations in a flash, sometimes pausing to distribute a few of his nightmares before he continued. So many possibilities…

And then, suddenly, he stopped. For a moment, as the residual blackness faded into street lamps and small buildings, he was at a loss. There was no reason for the stop, though he could very easily spread nightmares here as anywhere else. Maybe one of his horses trying to contact him was the cause, perhaps a-

A scream filled the air.

Pitch's gold-silver eyes blinked rapidly and he stood straighter, immediately searching the quant suburb buildings around him for the source. The child responsible was close. He quickly melted into the shadows again, growing taller in stature until he towered over a few of the buildings. Eyes flickering almost frantically he searched.

That scream… it was different. He hadn't heard one like it in ages. The ones like that, the ones that echoed and writhed, had not been around since he had risen to power. Oh, he had missed them…

He swept through one room after another, searching with a new ferocity. A sleeping child here, a writhing one there, a few pesky animals he sent whimpering away- where was she?!

And then, just as he was sure the presence of the scream had stopped him before, it did again.

A room materialized around him. It looked like any child's room. There were bright, nearly fluorescent colors that stuck to the walls and the furniture, even the decorations. There was a small but bright light shining against one wall that was supposedly something to ward him off. A few posters decorated the walls, some of which he recognized a bit of Portuguese on. And then, against the walls and in chairs, there were stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes. They seemed to watch him as he followed the trail to the bed, where several of the toys had been kicked or thrown off.

The child there was tossing and turning, sometimes kicking or flailing her legs. She whimpered, tangled in the blankets that were trying to keep her warm. There was a grimace on her face and, even in the dark, the Nightmare King could make out dark circles under her eyes. Looking at her, he could tell the nightmare she was having was self- occurring, much like the German personification he had tried to mess with, and had been given the right push in larger direction.

That, however, he found almost boring in comparison to what he discovered next.

"Agh..!" She turned over and the dim light in the room caught on her face, making the inky black tendrils that inched up her cheek unmistakable.

It took his breath away.

A fearling… The thought brought a laugh out of him, the child's expression shifting uncomfortably at the sound. He hadn't been able to turn a child into a fearling in so, so long. And now… His eyes flicked to the black tendrils again, as if to make sure they were actually there. Sure enough, they were, and they were spreading. From what he could see there were small tendrils that inched towards the child's hands and, even if most of them would 'disappear' in the morning, they were still growing strong.

Yes, this was excellent… He was ahead of schedule.

Smirking, the Nightmare King nodded towards the child and vanished once more, leaving the dark sand to fester. There was much he still had to do… and he supposed that it was time to put the next bit of his plan into full swing.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The room was quiet, save for Arthur's quiet murmuring in some other language. Feliciano thought it may have been Latin, but he could only translate a handful of words in his murky brain. There was something about guarding…. Or watching. He wasn't sure.

The nations around him were either still trying to soak in the new information or they had already moved past that. He could still catch the brief glances in his direction, as well as towards Ludwig, though he knew that he was the only one in the room that you could really see the effects of the nightmares taking place.

God, he knew he looked terrible… but he was really worried about Alfred. The younger nation wasn't even in the room, and from what he had heard he was taking it all really hard. Not like there was an easier way to take it, but…

Suddenly, Arthur stopped his spell. It was so abrupt that everyone looked up, waiting. The man sighed, rubbing his temples, and shut his book. "The ward is up… it should hold this time. It's stronger..."

They just had to hope it was stronger than the l'uomo nero.

The guardians in front of him nodded, their gazes looking to the other nations. There was another beat, another moment of silence, before…

"…What are we supposed to do now?"

The question had come from Gilbert, though the others became more attentive as soon as they heard it. Everyone wanted to know the answer, and everyone wanted to know how to do their part. A few sets of eyes looked toward Arthur, others towards Matthew, but eventually they found the somewhat nervous gazes of the Guardians.

This had happened before... and now that he knew that he was sure that they had been very close to losing at one point. Another dark ages… Feliciano shuddered. Once had been enough for anyone.

Lovino, who had been at his side almost constantly since their arrival, twitched. He watched the spirits before them, and seemed to be daring them to say something. That almost made Feliciano smile, especially when he imagined his brother trying to curse at the Easter Bunny, or Santa Claus.

And then, out of nowhere, Tino spoke. "We fight it." All eyes immediately found the Fin leaning against a nearby wall, his smile gone; his easygoing manner all but disappeared. It was a reminder of just how intense he could be, especially when he had something to protect. He continued, his eyes flashing at them, "We keep the belief going, and we fight it."

He seemed so sure of it… and they needed that. They needed a bit of confidence, especially when Alfred wasn't around to act like he could fix everything. The positivity, the assurance, was contagious.

Babbo Natale, or… he had said to call him North, nodded in agreement. "Well said, my friend." He glanced at the other guardians, who nodded, and he turned to the small group of nations sitting on or near the couch. "You all can tell what is going on your country, yes? You can sense him if he is there?"

Slowly, those around Feliciano nodded, though one or two frowned.

"He can also hide from us," Francis added, not looking pleased to admit that fact. He looked worried… really worried. "Many of us never even knew what was happening before. I assume he can do the same again."

'Especially now that he knows we're here…' The thought sent a chill up his spine. The last time he hadn't known about them, and now that he did… well he was certainly making the best of it.

"I'll show you how to find him." There was no question in Tino's voice. Despite that, though, he sighed softly. "He can hide from us, but… not if we don't let him. It can be difficult… but we can manage." He turned to North and nodded.

"Good. We," the man gestured to the other guardians, "can help. Tooth can have fairies on lookout, I can keep in contact with yetis, bunny can…" He paused and raised an eyebrow, while the large rabbit shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"I can be on the lookout, don't worry. And some of my eggs should be able to sneak around."

"Alright…" North glanced towards the Sandman, who had had his attention elsewhere for a few moments. As soon as the room went quiet, however, he looked up and nodded. The spirit of Christmas looked more relieved from that and turned towards the younger guardian. "And jack…"

"Wind's on it."

"Excellent." The man clapped his hands together, jolting Feliciano awake before he even realized he had been falling asleep. Lovino sent him a look that was somewhere in between reassuring and alarmed, before the Guardians began to break apart from the group and, assumedly, act on their plans immediately. While Feliciano caught a worried glance from Arthur to Matthew, Tino was in front of them. He smiled slightly, probably because he knew that they were all new to this. His posture relaxed a little, making him look less like a capable gun man and more like the Christmas loving nation they all knew, and he sat in front of them.

From behind them, Ivan beat everyone else to the punch. His voice was much too cheery, but for some reason…. Instead of feeling scared by it, Feliciano wanted to smile. It was good that the Russian was on their side and it would be very, very bad for the Nightmare King. "How do we find the Baba Yaga?"

For some reason, Tino chuckled. Maybe he thought the same thing. "You look for something that shouldn't be there, but something that's trying to make it seem like it should."

There was a moment of silence and he heard Lovino whisper in his head, 'Fucking riddles.' He smiled slightly and the Fin went on.

"You also look through the people, especially the kids. They'll know if anything is going on. If you feel something from them, and you tune into them, you've got him."

Everyone around him nodded, various expressions on their faces, though Gilbert, Lovino, and, from what he could tell, Matthew looked ready to kill. He could understand why. If it was Lovino instead of him… he would not greet the thing after them on good terms.

A few nations went quiet, already searching their land, while a few of the guardians returned. Jack and… had he wanted them to call him sandy? They re-entered the room, the younger spirit smiling slightly when he caught his gaze. After gesturing to his right, the Sandman hovered over to him, greeting him silently. A few pictures formed above his head, and from them Feli slowly gathered that he wanted to knock him out. The thought made him want to cringe, but… he did remember that before they had arrived Arthur and Alfred had been asleep.

It seemed like it had been peaceful… Arthur hadn't said anything otherwise, and Alfred was still asleep.

Slowly, he nodded, giving them a small smile. They all seemed very nice… and he trusted them to wake him if anything happened. Still, he held up a hand as Sandy readied his sand. "Un momento…"

He shut his eyes quickly and tried to push a part of his consciousness away. A few of Lovino's thoughts interrupted, as worried as they were angry, and he rolled his eyes. 'Calm down, fratello. We'll find him.'

'How can you sound so calm about this?'

Honestly… he wasn't sure. He didn't feel too calm, but… compared to other times, he was. Under any other circumstances, he would have been calling for surrender; for peace. But this time it was different. There would be no peace if he did not fight. And his people, the children that he sometimes saw roaming the streets or playing without a care in the world, were at stake. If the Boogeyman had bigger plans then so would the rest of the world.

Lovino seemed to understand that, because his presence began to fade a bit. Taking that as a go ahead, he went further. Thousands of different voices filled his mind, and he let them. They talked about the weather, food, politics, dogs, cats, world peace, school… anything and everything. For a moment he felt lost in it, in a sea of voices that were so important and a part of him… and then he focused on one voice. It was warm; a mother. He smiled and then went to the next voice, then through the next five, until he found a child. The child was exited and he shared that feeling for few moments, though he could tell that there was not anything to be found. Sifting through more children's voices, he could find nothing. There was no presence around anywhere he checked, either.

That was good. And… also kind of bad.

Feliciano's amber eyes fluttered open and he sighed, yawning. "Nothing at my place…"

A few of the other nation's nodded, either in agreement or just to show that they had heard him. The Italian glanced to Ludwig, who shrugged, though he still looked somewhat confident they would find him. There was anxiousness in his eyes, though. Sometimes… sometimes he forgot just how young he was. Feli smiled slightly at him, trying to assure that things would all work out, and then he heard a door open across the room.

"Al, what are you-"

At the name, everyone's head turned. They spotted an exasperated and confused Canadian, and behind him… Alfred stepped into the room, still wobbly on his feet. His azure eyes flicked over them, then at the guardians, and… Feliciano felt like someone had hit him with a rock. The American looked… God…

"You look terrible, Fredka."

Yeah, that about summed it up.

Alfred blinked a few times and then he began to laugh. The laugher was softer than usual, not to mention a little hysterical, and the younger nation didn't seem to be able to control it very well. "T-thanks, Iivan… Nice to see ya too, man."

Something in Feli immediately felt for him, and he knew that they needed to find the boogeyman as soon as possible. He could see it in the others expressions, too. They knew it as well as he did. They may not act like it all the time, but they were fond of the American. After all, who else would try to make meetings bearable? Who else would propose insane ideas and act optimistic?

There were a few moments of silence, Alfred seeming to have captured everyone's attention, and then… Arthur stood, having been either looking around his country or checking the wards he had put in place, and folded his arms over his chest. He seemed to be doing a bit better, even if he hadn't rested for as long as he should have. "Alfred- bed. Now."

The room was silent. Alfred blinked once, twice, and stared at the man. Then, slowly, he spoke. "But I-"

"No buts."

And for some reason, Feliciano laughed. He was good friends with the American, but seeing Arthur act like a parent toward him… It struck him as funny. A few nations stared at him and he tried to reel it in. Think about… He thought about why Alfred woke up. It was probably because he had sensed so many nations in one place and, knowing him, he was too stubborn to rest when he could be helping in some way.

The younger nation glanced towards Matthew and then looked his way, searching for someone to back him up. Feliciano managed a reassuring smile and nodded. Alfred pouted and Sandy hovered over, glancing back once. No pictures were needed; he was going to be taking a nap while they tried to search for signs of Pitch.

Lovely.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Alright, everyone, lights out."

A collective whine went through the group of kids as they each stopped what they had been doing. Claude and Caleb ceased trying to have a war with pillows, Sophie looked up from her drawing, and the smaller group of Monty, Pippa, Cupcake, and Jamie paused with their board game.

"Aww…" Jamie glanced around the room at his friends, who all mirrored his expression of disappointment, then turned back to his mom. "Can we have ten more minutes?"

Mrs. Bennett shook her head, smiling good naturedly. "No, you've already had twenty. And, besides…" She walked into the room and scooped up Sophie, causing the girl to giggle. "It's way past your sister's bedtime."

Seeing they weren't going to get anywhere this time, the kids slowly began to settle down, moving to the sleeping bags they had already grouped together on the floor. There were a few pouts, of course, but mostly they were cooperative. Curious eyes watched as Sophie shifted noisily in her mother's arms and sat up, pointing a small hand to Jamie.

"Can I stay with them, mommy?" There was a pause as her mother blinked, though her smile didn't fade. The question wasn't surprising, though normally she wouldn't put up a fight so late at night. Sophie paused, waiting, her forest eyes innocent as they watched for a sign that she could stay. When no change came, she added, "Pleeeaase..?"

Mrs. Bennett laughed softly and kissed the top of the girls head before she moved to the group, sitting Sophie on top of the covers on Jamie's bed. "Alright," She agreed, eyeing the older children. They looked between each other and nodded in understanding. She took a few steps forward and, when she reached Jamie, she ruffled his hair. "Just make sure you all get to sleep, okay?"

They nodded vigorously, smiles immediately brightening their faces. As she left the room, the light going off with her, the room was completely silent. It stayed like that until they heard the telltale footsteps descending the stairs. Jamie suddenly turned to his friends and gave them a thumbs up. It had worked!

The brunet stood a moment later, grabbing the small stuffed bunny that sat a few feet away from him, and hopped up on the bed with his sister. He handed her the animal, making her smile, and got comfortable, looking to his friends. "So..." He questioned, his mind immediately going to the problem they knew was at hand, "What do you think we should do?"

A few of his friends shrugged, the others looking down in thought. They had been trying to come up with a plan ever since Jack had told them Pitch was back. It hadn't been long, but they felt like they needed to have at least some sort of an idea of what to do. Then, hopefully, they could help the Guardians out a little more.

And… Jamie still felt that there was something bigger going on. The sick feeling, to his relief, had gotten better, but his stomach still didn't feel right. Sophie had told him the same, though he suspected she thought it was something in between being sick and whatever theory he had in his mind. Searching through a few of his books and on the internet had come up with nothing. He hadn't found anything that matched his uneasiness. The best he knew… it was a new spirit. It had to be. Or maybe several new spirits… but either way, it would be best if they could find a way to help stop Pitch, or to warn Jack and the others if something happened. Protecting themselves would always be a good idea, too…

The boy glanced at his sister, who was trying to think along with the rest of them. She was staring intently at the bunny, petting its head. He couldn't help but smile, resolving that he was not going to let anything get a hold of her.

"um…"

The start was brief, but it had caught everyone's attention. They turned to Monty and the blond pushed his glasses up, smiling almost sheepishly.

"How about… we ask around town, see if anyone's seen anything?" He glanced around at them, gauging their reactions.

There were a few nods, and then Claude clapped his hands together enthusiastically.

"Yeah, we've spread enough of the news around. All the other kids at school have to know something if he's shown up."

They didn't mention that some of the kids at school had already stopped believing, but the two sounded so sure of it that they all knew they could find a way around it.

Caleb nodded, smiling with his brother, catching on to the idea. "And Soph and her friends would definitely know if something was up. Right, Sophie?"

His sister nodded, her smile widening. "Yeah!" She sat up, hugging the stuffed animal to her chest. "And if they do, we can tell Bunny and Jack."

A few of his friends chuckled and nodded, and in the small silence they made their sleeping bags comfortable. They looked better now that they had a little bit of something to go on, and they hadn't heard anything about the boogeyman… They hadn't seen anything either. No horses, no black sand, no nothing.

Still, Jamie knew they shared his thoughts that Pitch would show up to scare them at some point, if not only to get back at them for their part in defeating him, then to increase his power. He was still worried about that; about how to fight him off when he did show up… Part of him had a pretty good idea. He had watched Jack do it by having a little fun, and he had even helped somehow. The other part, though… That was the part that had him scouring the internet to try to find something, which… had given next to nothing in results. Most of the links had been to sites about video games or to ways parents could help their kids stop being scared of what they thought was imaginary. From what he could tell, as long as the kid believed it… it worked. Other than that, he had found some things about Pitch in different countries, which had been interesting. Some of it was kind of funny, like how in Russia the Boogeyman was a girl, and others… weren't funny at all.

Sophie yawned next to him and he blinked, noticing that everyone had settled in. It wasn't too late, but they had to get up early the next morning and his friends had gone with it. They muttered a few goodnights, though it looked like they had noticed the frown on his face. As his sister handed him part of his blanket, Pippa sat up.

"Hey, Jamie..?"

"Yeah..?"

She smiled slightly, zipping the bag shut. Her eyes flicked up and met his. "Don't worry, we'll know what to do."

Cupcake nodded from her spot, same with Monty and Claude. They smiled at him and he could see how much they believed now; not just in what they couldn't see, but in themselves.

Claude propped his head up, his smile a widening just a bit. "Yeah… we did last time, didn't we?"

Jamie nodded, smiling too at the memory. "Yeah." He couldn't argue with that… and he trusted that things would be okay. They had the guardians on their side, and they were more prepared. "Okay. Good night, guys."

They nodded and soon the room was near silent, though there were a few small whisper conversations. After scanning the room, he found his sleeping bag, though he paused before he jumped to get it. Sophie shifted next to him and he turned his head, laughing softly when he saw she was already asleep. The blanket on him was attached to her, and… Yeah, okay, he could stay up here.

He grabbed a pillow and laid down, his eyes shifting to the closed windows. The curtains weren't shut, and he watched the stars, his mind drifting from one thing to another until his eyes closed for the night.

Outside, a shadow fell over the window. No one was awake to see it, but it still paused. Slowly, a nightmare formed from its depths and cantered inside the house, the closed window hardly a problem. Once in the room, it looked around, as if trying to find something. After a few moments it shook its head and turned towards the window, its golden eyes staring into the darkness.

Several new nightmares flanked in, and with them was their king. Pitch glanced around the room at the children, various levels of disdain flickering across his face at each one. As if it were nothing, he flicked a bony finger, sending one nightmare to the girl who dreamed of unicorns, another to the two boys who could not stop thinking about sports, and then to the other two. He rolled his eyes at them. Something more practical would do…

"Ha…" he laughed softly and weaved his fingers through the sand, adding a little something to the forming nightmare. Not too much… he didn't want to give himself away immediately, after all, but… enough.

And then he turned to the brat.

His lips turned up into a sneer, sand coiling around his fingers in anticipation. This was the child who had given hope, dreams, and wonder breath; the child who had sent his plans back; the child who had made him invisible once again.

Pitch held his hand over the boys head and weaved a delightful little nightmare. It was one of caution and, above all, of dread. It was worries that were already present; his friends losing their belief, his precious guardians getting hurt again, and his inability to see or protect them. He still added certain… kicks every now and then. There were certain strings he knew to pull and he had the forethought to know when.

Only when the brats face had twisted from its peaceful expression into a lovely grimace did he set his eyes to the sleeping form next to him.

The girl was entangled in the blankets, one of her feet almost kicking her now distraught brother's face. Her hair was already messy, incredibly so. She didn't seem to be dreaming yet, much like the others, but she still looked calm. Pitch hummed softly and let the meridian sand pool in his hand, let his mind go over the possibilities. For a moment he watched, his brow stitching together, and then he extended his hand. Her face began to contort suddenly as the sand weaved out of his hand, he felt a large twinge of satisfaction, and then…

It was like a spark; brief, but bright enough to light the dark before it vanished.

_"Daddy?"_

Eyes now wide, Pitch sucked in a breath, staring at the spot in front of him where that girl had been moments ago. But, now, gone was her bright blonde hair, gone was the placid expression. They were replaced with long, wavy black hair and bright, teary silver eyes.

When he looked at them he was suddenly, undeniably, afraid.

 _"Daddy…"_ Her eyebrows furrowed and she sniffed, her eyes flickering towards his hand. They remained there for a moment and then they returned to meet his. They seemed to ask what he was doing, what he had been about to do. She looked so worried and frightened and before he knew it his mouth was moving.

"Darling, what's wrong?"

Part of him was entirely confused, and a bit frustrated, as to where those words had come from. He wasn't entirely sure he had even said them, but he had little time to dwell on that. She responded, wiping her nose,

_"I had a bad dream, daddy. You were in it."_

Something stirred inside him, just for a moment. It felt old and warped, but it forced its way into his stomach and then to his chest. It shredded it, clawed at it. The Nightmare King hadn't a clue what it was, but… he didn't think he liked it. Beneath everything it lurked still, something like nostalgia, but… not quite. Something else inside him rushed to expel the feeling and he took a step back, staring as the raven haired child's face distorted with hurt. Through the hurt, though, he saw a curiosity that was achingly familiar. So, so familiar…

_"…what's wrong?"_

The feeling tried to shred his chest now, his cloak, and he forced it back. What he had seen, whatever on earth it had been, faded quickly after. Behind it, it left the same room, now eerily quiet, and the same little girl that should have been writhing from his sand.

Pitch stared, nearly unblinking, at the child. He caught the bit of nightmare sand still in effect hovering like dust mites above her head and frowned, staring as they lay motionless in his palm. For a moment he watched her breath, comparing it to the other children's sporadic pattern, and his eyes shifted around the room. The others were in some form of distress, and he could feel the fear coming from them in waves. It fed him, and he needed it, but yet…

He turned back to the girl and, no matter how much he tried to make himself, he could not take away that peaceful, innocent expression.

A smaller nightmare poked its head through the window and watched him, much like he remembered it doing after the guardians had beaten him. It seemed to be asking for orders, but he could see the hunger in its eyes, even if the caution still remained. Frowning, he nodded and dismissed it with the flick of a wrist. It would do whatever it pleased, maybe look for other children to feed off of. He barely looked as it nodded and rushed off, darkness swirling in its path.

For a moment, he turned back to the child. Part of him still lingered, still screamed at him to use the sand. He knew he should. He knew it should be easy. It should be like any other child. In fact, just to vanquish that incessant, stupid voice in his head, he should turn her into a fearling.

When he still hadn't moved moment later, the Nightmare King grated his teeth together and cursed himself, quickly disappearing from the way he had come, calling for his nightmares to do the same as soon as they had had their fill. His insides were writhing and he needed to spread more fear to make up for… that. For the new spark of the emotion he knew so well, dealt with so fluently, but did not want to acknowledge.

That spark was fear, and he pushed it down with all of his might. He stamped at it and shut it as far away as possible, before his minions sensed it.

Fists clenching, glaring vehemently at the few horses that dared look his way, he brought a place to mind that should cheer him up.

When he arrived, when he had finally stepped out of the shadows, he found the surrounding world to be not much different. The sun had apparently set, or was on its way to doing so, which stole much of the light away. Snow still covered the ground and it seemed the sunlight had just made it more slippery. He wasn't sure whether to smirk or glare at it, as if doing that would send a message to the winter spirit who had created it.

For a moment it seemed he had been answered when the wind tried to send him to the side. A rapid, harsh gust slammed into his back, then into his face. Clearly not in the mood for setbacks, he swiped at the invisible presence and sent a bit of sand towards it. Normally, that would have done nothing, but he had learned a trick or two.

Instead of falling to the ground or letting the presence sweep it away, the sand latched onto it. It remained in the gust, and he was pleased to sense that the Wind was writhing.

That would buy him a little time…

His silver-gold eyes scanned the sky and other his other present surroundings. It was quiet for the moment, though he sensed some activity going on past the walls of the house. He stared for a moment, loathing the fact that he had to be so close to them. Still, he felt an absence, and it gave him a huff of satisfaction. A few of the guardians had probably gone out to secure their valuables. He would not go after them yet, but soon… he would. It would not be like before.

Before, he was out of practice. Now he was prepared.

Instead of going after them, he took a step forward and turned his head upwards, focusing on the area near the top of the house where the roof met the sky. His eyes shifted around the perimeter after a few moments and then to the spot maybe two feet in front of him. It was obvious there would be another, but trying to catch the slight charge, the shimmer in the air, made it a little more interesting.

The brit had added another protection spell... This would be fun.

The spell was older. He could tell that by the hum, the energy, even the way it warped at the edges. It was less distinct than the one before, but that added to its camouflage. He was sure the personification was pulling at stops for the time being… until he knew what he was doing. Grant it, he had done a good job. It required a lot of concentration. And, as he looked at the ward… it seemed England was getting closer. This would take more time to get through, especially if he (A bit ironically…) did not want to be seen.

With a watchful eye, he slowly brought two small nightmares from the shadows. Each was smaller than the palm of his hand, but they would do for keeping watch and checking around the perimeter of the house. He could keep watch on the Wind, but he had no intention of holding it longer than necessary. He knew his limits and he knew that the wind was never supposed to be contained.

After sending the nightmares in opposite directions and forcing himself into the shadows, he got to work.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The other nations really didn't seem to have much to go on. He listened to their plans as intently as he could, though there were none that really piqued his interest. None other than Tino's, that is… Heh, he really liked that plan. Simple, but effective.

The question was; how?

According to the Guardians, with fun. It sounded easy enough, but something told Ivan that that wasn't going to work as well this time. That little 'something' had come in the form of a few stray nightmares, and a visit from their king.

He wanted to laugh. They didn't call him that for nothing… Oh, no. He was very good at what he did. He remembered getting visits from the spirit long ago, however vague most of them were. Sometimes there was a voice with them, a face, but mostly he remembered feeling. What he felt was scary and not at all pleasant, nor was what he had endured before he had made it to Ludwig and Gilbert's house. The nightmares were getting stronger, and if they didn't stop them before then… well they would get much worse.

Still… what he felt had not been desirable, yes, but… As time progressed, sometimes it was actually better than what he experienced during the day. Sometimes there was a little mercy in the small fears that inhabited the nightmares he remember having.

And then that went away when he thought of the children that could possibly be hurt from the spirit trying to rise again… Oh… this time he did laugh, his fingers clenching around the spigot he had yet to let go of. He was not having that. He knew the others felt the same, even if they were a little slow.

From his lookout against the wall, he could see a few nations still planning. Parts of their conversation flitted to his ears, some parts more interesting than others. One or two he contributed to, and he was glad to find they listened to him instead of slinking back when he tried to talk. It was less fun without Alfred up and running, though. He was usually interesting to plan with.

For now though, he could only watch. Feliciano was asleep and it seemed to be peaceful. Part of him longed for it, while the other persistently argued that ten cups of coffee was a much better option. Some of the others had decided to perform watch duty around their countries, while others were trying to get a little rest while it was possible. As it stood, two of the guardians were out making sure things were alright at their hideouts. That left Sandy, North, and Jack with them.

Hmm… Ivan smiled slightly, watching the three curiously as they attempted to plan with the smaller group of nations in front of him. They seemed to be faring well, considering how varied they all were.

Then one of them caught his eye. North, as he had been told, stood and made his way over, standing against the wall a few feet away. The Russian nation glanced over, curious, though the man only nodded in acknowledgement at first.

"Quite the group you are with, my friend."

The accent was familiar, and still strong despite however many years he assumed the man had been living. He found himself relaxing a little. "I could say the same about you."

North laughed softly and, again, he found himself smiling a little as well. It was more natural now, not the strained one that made other nations run for the hills. He looked over to where Jack and the sandman were sitting and he nodded. "You could, yes…"

They were silent for a moment. He listened to the planning a little more, though a thought interrupted it. He turned towards the larger man, his eyebrows furrowing. "Where you are from… was it..?" He trailed off, though he slowly pointed to himself.

The man nodded, chuckling, a nostalgic look that was very familiar to the nation crossing into his eyes. "Da, I was from Russia." His smile took on the look as well. "I used to be a Cossack. King Cossack, actually."

Now Ivan blinked, a childish look of wonder flashing across his face. "Really..?" He could see it though, in the stature, the swords… For a moment he tried to think back and see if he remembered anyone like that and, for a moment, he thought he could hear the whispers of stories. They had been larger than life, he knew, and their source did not disappoint.

To say he felt a bit like a kid on Christmas morning could not have been more accurate.

He smiled, even laughed a little. "You do not disappoint."

"Neither do you." There was a brief pause and the man's eyes widened. He tilted his head a moment, curious. "Nesting dolls are your thing, yes?"

Ivan's eyebrows furrowed a moment. Part of him said they should be focusing on the problem at hand, but the other answered before he could do anything else. The truth was that the guardians were here to protect and spread the good in things, and… that also meant distracting them from the bad things. "Yes… I guess so." He really did love them, though, and maybe that was what made him good at creating them.

North's expression brightened and he reached into his pocket. Moments later he tossed the item in the air, leaving the nation's reflexes to ensure that it didn't hit the ground. Immediately catching it, the Russian looked down, only to marvel at the craftsmanship and details on the doll. The face displayed was, of course, familiar.

His amethyst eyes shifted to the guardian, chuckling. "You made this?"

"I am not called Ded Morez for nothing." He eyes the piece as well, gesturing to it. "Open it."

Ivan did. He found layer upon layer of different faces; different parts of a whole. He admired each one with the innocence that, many times, others had tried to take or distort. Each piece was a work of art. And then… he got to the center. A smile flitted onto his face, though he was a bit confused. When he glanced at North, he was only given an almost encouraging nod to try to figure it out.

It was obvious it was a child, and he knew that the guardians protected something in children… When he thought about what he had felt when he saw the doll, and when he had heard those stories all those years ago, he decided that maybe they tried to protect and rekindle those things in adults, too.

Smile widening, he turned and held up the wooden child. "Big eyes to see with, da?"

North's face lit up and he nodded enthusiastically, taking the different layers and the center and putting them back together in no time flat. Clapping him on the shoulder, he agreed. "Finally someone gets it." He motioned to the winter spirit who was talking with the sandman and Matthew. "Jack called it a tiny wooden baby."

The nation giggled. That sounded like someone else he knew.

For a moment his attention was elsewhere. The conversations seemed to altogether reappear, and he listened to a few different things. That was not what caught his eye however. Eyes scanning the group, he noticed how all of the nations looked worn. There was something a little different in a few of them, though… something he couldn't put his finger on.

Sensing his sudden shift, the guardian patted his shoulder. Ivan turned, meeting North's eyes. The man smiled. "It was good talking with you. We will have to fight together when the time comes."

He nodded, liking the idea. There was a little twinge to his smile now, he was sure. That was the thing most nations hid from. "I will look forward it."

North didn't seem phased in the slightest, his smile only growing, and he gestured once more to the nesting doll in his other arm. "You should try to make one sometime." There was a pause, and he tapped the top layer of the doll, the one that looked a bit frightening. "I am sure nations have more layers than they show on the surface, yes?"

Ivan managed a nod, though the sentence struck him in a way few things these days could manage. It made him smile a true smile because, for once, he had been met with understanding instead of fear; a promise of fighting together instead of the threat of an attack.

The man, seeing his smile, nodded in return and went back to the group. His fellow Guardians looked up, smiled at him, and they seemed to have a small conversation.

…could the other nations greet him like that one day?

The thought made for a pleasant note in his mind, even if it seemed like it would never happen. His smile didn't disappear, though it faded a little, as he made his way over to the person he wanted to talk to in the group. They didn't seem too busy, and it looked like the conversation had halted for the most part.

When he got there, the nation turned around. He paused briefly seeing him, but he didn't seem bothered. "Oh, um, hey Ivan."

That was what he liked about Matthew. He could at least try to be civil. "Hello, Matvey. Could I speak with you?"

After a brief glance at the other nations, some who seemed to notice his absence from conversation and some who didn't, he nodded. "Yeah, sure." He stood and they walked to the next room, the atmosphere immediately becoming quieter. Matthew immediately found a wall and stuck to it. His tone was casual, curious, when he questioned, "…what did you want to ask?"

The Russian smiled good naturedly and shrugged, as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. "I was just wondering about something. How long has your brother been having nightmares?"

The younger nation blinked, his posture shifting into something more protective; more defensive. His voice was a little more guarded when he answered. "He's… he's been having then for around a week, I think. probably a little more though, considering…" He trailed off, seemed to reconsider his words, though Ivan could tell he probably hadn't talked about this with many people. "…considering he's Al." His expression fell and the older nation couldn't help but feel bad for him. But then, for a moment, there was a hint of suspicion that flashed in Matthew's eyes. "Why do you ask..?"

Ivan shrugged again. "As I said, I was wondering." He knew his next question would only increase the other's uneasiness now, so he held back for a moment. "How is he?"

He received a shrug now in return. "I've been asked that a lot. He's how you would expect him to be." There was clear worry in his expression, showing he probably had given up on trying to hide it. "I think it's a little better now, with Sandy and the other guardians here and everything…" He trailed off, his defensive posture disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. "…have you had any?"

There was no need to clarify. He nodded.

"Oh…"

And now they were breaching the subject he had wanted to ask about. "Have you had any, Matvey?"

Matthew's eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "No… not that I remember."

Ivan nodded. That was what he suspected… but why? Each answer he tried to think of was less reassuring than the last. "You do not remember anything at all?"

"no." He sighed, his expression shifting from saddened, to confused, and then to frustrated. "Maybe he just hasn't gotten to me yet…" There was a pause, a wry light in his eyes. Before he even said it, the Russian knew what he was thinking. "He probably forgot about me. Everyone else does."

Hearing those words only solidified his belief that it was exactly the opposite. "You may be right, but I do not think so."

Matthew frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. "What do you mean..?"

His smile had vanished now, having been fading more and more with each question. "His plans might be more intricate than we think…" Seeing the expression on his comrade's face, he forced his smile to return and tried to make it look as natural as possible. "Try not to worry, Matvey. There are other possibilities." It seemed cruel to bring the subject of forgetfulness back so he shifted it. "He might just be saving you for last." He then added, hoping it would be reassuring, "how did that expression go..?"

For a moment the younger nation blinked, as if trying to process that sentence. And then he gave a small, grateful smile. He could tell from that that what he had said nearly as much to the Canadian as what North's words had meant to him.

There was a pause, and Ivan glanced out the darkened window, then back at Matthew. "It is late. I don't think Alfred is the only one forgetting to sleep, da?"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The ward was humming now. It was barely visible, but the small, small part he was focusing on was all but transparent.

His nightmares had yet to find any indication of danger, which was good. This was taking longer than he had anticipated, however, and it was making him angry. He needed to get through this before anyone returned… and the Wind had nearly escaped at least ten times, and just moments ago it had finally broken free. He knew he was short on time as it was, but now he needed to get through. Hopefully the sand still stuck to it would slow it down enough…

All he needed was a tiny break in the shield; a small hole, an insignificant crack. He was so close to getting there… and he was sure soon he was going to give the English personification hell for it.

There was one thing that kept Pitch under control. It was as small as the hole he was trying to create and only consisted of a dim sense, something he thought he could reach inside the house. If he was right then things would go much, much smoother.

For a few moments he stood there, resisting the urge to shatter the shield as he had done before, listening to the nearly invisible waves of sound coming from it. Every now and then they varied, showing a different level of concentration. For the two directions it could go, it usually fell towards a low hum, meaning that there was less focus. For once, he was counting on the sandman to do his job correctly.

His mind kept whispering, fall asleep, as if that would make it happen to those inside. Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't.

And then the ward fell out of the lowering and rising pattern it had been so keen on continuing. The hum was low and it remained that way instead of immediately shifting back.

Pitch smirked and lifted a finger to the shell of the spell, concentrating as he had before. It still took longer than he would have liked, but soon enough there was a tiny crack. That crack grew just for a moment and he took his opportunity, immediately making himself as small as possible and shifting through it into the shadows on the other side.

It seemed like no time at all before he was inside, the crack now smaller than it had been. Hardly noticeable, especially if its warden was asleep. He didn't risk forming yet, as that would probably alarm someone, and instead focused on the shadows inside the abode. There were few, but you could never completely get rid of them. Moments later he was looking at the inside of his enemy's "war room", which rather looked like a messy sleepover.

Amusing as that was…

There were several nations still awake, and, much to his distaste, the sandman was still hovering around somewhere. He would probably be spreading dreams and light and the thought made Pitch sick to his stomach.

Not your target, his mind supplied.

He nearly rolled his eyes and slunk onward, finding something new in one of the hallways he passed. It hit him all at once, like someone had just made a subject abundantly clear in his mind. They were here. All three of them.

The Nightmare King, had he a form, would have grinned.

However, in front of him, something growled. That… did not sit right with him. He gazed upwards, having stopped in the middle of a shadow the wall provided, to see what looked to be a small polar bear staring directly at him, its teeth bared.

Well… this was new.

He would have frowned, but instead glared at the creature. Instead of backing off, as others had been known to do, it only tried to step on him. That really got on his nerves… After so long of being stepped through for ages, being stepped on brought on a whole new level of distaste.

_Oh, get away you pesky animal._

To his absolute astonishment, the bear responded.

_You get away or you will regret it._

Perhaps it was just the creature's aura, which seemed to flow off of it and towards him, but that was what it had said and… Oh, no, there was another spirit attached to these people?

Pitch very nearly growled back, looking quickly to see if anyone had been alerted or if he could see his targets anywhere. Sadly… they were nowhere near him and he knew if this thing didn't feel his presence leaving in the next few seconds it would find someone and tell them.

He would have borne a hole through the animal's head and relented, knowing he would give its owner something to get back for this later. He huffed.

Another day.

That day would not come soon enough.


	12. Chapter 12

Grass crumpled under his feet, but the scenery was quickly transforming from a serene forest to a dank, muddy wasteland. The few (mostly peaceful) creatures he had been able to spot had all disappeared, and the birds that had been chirping were falling behind them. 

A mix of nations and guardians trudged on in front of him, having to stop nearly every step to try to pry their feet from the earth. The situation might have been funny if the circumstances were different, but… Considering why they were trudging, it was just aggravating and only further consumed their limited time. 

There was a pit in his stomach; a tangled mess of worry and fear and exhaustion. He wasn't entirely sure why it was there, much like he wasn't fully aware of where the group was headed, but, at the same time, he did know. It was important, incredibly so, and they had to find their destination.

Arthur glanced behind him once more. It felt like something was watching him… or following them. Either of the options was not desirable, and he was really getting sick of feeling invisible eyes on him. 

His feet stopped, the muck in the ground pulling at them. Cursing internally, and aloud, he stopped and tried to tug them out. It took a couple of moments and in those moments he found himself thinking about the ward that still remained on Alfred's house; digging for it inside his mind. It was still strong, though he could feel-even from this distance- the small attacks to it. Odd how they were still happening, even when-

"Oof!"

The nation jolted for a moment and quickly turned, finding that he had stumbled into a less than coherent American, who he had… tripped into the mud. Ooh… He made a face in sympathy, and grabbed the lad's arm, pulling him into a standing position. Alfred nodded in thanks before he began to try and wipe the mud off. It was useless effort, but he wasn't sure he was aware of that.

"Agh… This shit is… Come on, dude…" 

Seeing as the both of them were only sinking further into the mud, Arthur pulled his former colony to 'higher ground'. It took a bit of maneuvering, but eventually Alfred began to cooperate and he found a more solid patch of land. Sighing, noting that the others still weren't faring much better, he nodded. "Sorry about knocking you over."

Apologies were nothing now, even if he meant them. He could see and feel the effects of Pitch's work, and at this point they could do very little to stop it.

Maybe those effects made him think of the child he had once taken care of… or maybe they made him realize that, even though the younger nation had grown, he still was that child.

Alfred only shook his head in response, taking a few breaths. The struggle had taken more of a toll on him than it should have. "It's… It's cool. I kinda… might have been sleepwalking. If you can call this walking." There was something in his hand, partially hidden by the way the way he had rested his hands on his knees, but… it almost looked to be a stuffed animal. The Brit nodded slowly, shaking off the detail. There was no oddness about the fact that he was carrying it, but more in the fact that he was surprised by it. 

Momentarily, he debated on being an idiot and try to carry the other nation for a bit. He knew he wouldn't make it very far, but it might help… And then he noticed something, a detail that he wanted to slap himself for overlooking. Being preoccupied with their surroundings and taking one step at a time, he had completely missed the fact that Matthew was nowhere near Alfred. That was extremely hard to comprehend, especially when one considered that lately the two had been attached at the hip. It was unnerving not to see him there. Not to see him anywhere, actually…

Now that he looked around, he saw no sign of the Canadian. The thought occurred that he may have been in the front of the group or lost inside it, but… Arthur looked Alfred over again. No… Matthew wouldn't leave him to stumble along by himself. Something was wrong.

He should know what that something was. Why didn't he? Why wasn't Matthew here?

The knot in his stomach pulled and yanked, causing the fear and worry to become something much more deadly: panic. 

Now that he was aware of it, he could see the grim looks on the other's faces. When he found Francis… His expression was everything but reassuring, and that was never a good sign. 

"Alfred, where is-"

And then, all at once, he felt it. It seemed like it had been at the edge of his vision for hours, just out of sight; just out of reach. And now… Oh no, oh god, everybody- "WATCH OUT!"

There was a moment of absolute silence where everyone else jumped, readied some kind of weapon, or tried to move as far out the way as the mud would allow. Obviously, no matter how ready for attack some of them had been, it wasn't fast enough. They tripped, they stumbled, they fell, but, most of all, they were overrun. 

Shadows spilled from the trees, much too tangible now. Some only hovered, as if they were waiting for something, while others zipped through the air and knocked members of their party into the mud. A few of them got a well-placed shot in, but that was all that managed to cut through before they were quickly overwhelmed. The creatures didn't just advance; they swarmed. There had to be hundreds of them, if not more…

The group tried to retreat. Tooth and Jack managed to be the most help considering they were airborne, but, still, they were no match. 

Arthur was about to stand in front of Alfred, was about to try and shield him, but then… 

"AGH!"

The older nation whipped around, only to see the American surrounded by another force of shadows. They had already cut off all forms of escape. Alfred struggled, tried to use his usually endless amount of strength, but the creatures were on him, coiling around his arms and legs. And then, before Arthur could even attempt to get them off… they washed over him, like a tidal wave. 

He didn't need to look behind him to know that the others had met the same fate. 

He didn't need his magic, didn't need his people, didn't need anything at all to feel their loss. 

He didn't need to see Alfred to hear his screams. 

And he didn't need to see the darkness heading towards him to feel its sting as it caught him, but he found himself doing it anyway.

The belief, the children, the entire damn world… lost in a sea of black. 

The creatures looked to be same consistency as Pitch's nightmare horses, but there was something much, much more terrifying about them. They watched him, whispered to him, and writhed when his body, too, was covered in them. The darkness they emitted leeched up his skin and drained him of warmth, of hope, of wonder, of dreams, and, slowly, of life. But Arthur could hardly feel their cold hands wrenching that goodness out of him… not when he saw the creatures' faces.

If he thought he had known terror before, it was a pinprick- a joke- compared to this.

Children stared back at him, their once innocent faces charred with darkness. They smirked, and grinned, and met him with malice. He could recognize some of them, even if he had felt them die centuries ago. Young lives lost from the Black Death, taken by bombings, by storm, by fire, by error. There were others, too; those that had been lost by his failure today. 

He could feel every single light go out, every breath lost to death, and it shattered him. Writhing, he fought in vain to escape, but the blackness that was painstakingly inching through his body was now burning like ice. Only from this, it seemed, did their whispers make begin to make sense. 

Their words were many, and they were relentless. Every terrible thought he had ever had about himself, every atrocity he had ever committed, and every single life lost in his name; they knew it, and they did not even try to hide that knowledge. 

'Murderer…'

'Coward.'

'Outcast…'

He couldn't breathe. There was no room for air, not when his chest was closing up this fast. His body was being clawed at in every way imaginable, and he couldn't even begin to describe the agony. His eyes remained wide, unblinking.

A shadow, a stygian remnant of a child, whispered vehemently, 'Father.' 

He was like their father, in a way… Being a country always was. And he had managed to get his children killed. Worse… they had become this. It was because of him. …and now they were getting their revenge. 

He deserved it.

New faces became clear, strikingly and agonizingly familiar; the guardians, the other nations, Alfred. 

A scream caught in his throat, but he was too terrified to even give them that.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
His eyes were open now, the scream still caught painfully in his throat. For a moment, everything was blank. There was no one in front of him, even though he could sense them. There was no one trying to talk to him, even if there was a buzz of words floating around his ears.

Arthur's chest felt like it was in the middle of exploding and the presence of air seemed to have disappeared completely.

His vision was murky and unclear, but there were colors. Blue, red, green, white…

The children… they were dead. His people were dead. Everyone. Was. Dead.

And then, like before, the words suddenly made sense. "-ami, Arthur- It's okay. You were-" The words continued and, maybe, he could recognize where they were coming from, but… but…

Everyone was dead.

That made the words all that more confusing to hear.

They came again, softer this time. There was some other sound, some sort of wheezing. "Arthur, you need to breathe…" There was a short pause and he blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. Something was still stuck in his throat, but his heart was beating much too fast for him to get it out. "You need to calm down, Arthur… everything is alright…"

For some reason, his mind latched onto that, even if it wasn't true; even when he was telling himself that it would never be. It latched and it gripped and it wouldn't let go. A soft, 'really,' nearly left his lips but all that came out was a crack; a grate in his vocal chords.

There was a hand resting on his shoulder. It was familiar, in the same way as the voice, but he wasn't sure why that was.

"It's alright… its alright, mon ami. Try to breathe. Just a little slower, okay?"

Francis..? Why was Francis here? Wasn't he dead?

Arthur tried to look around, though the best he could make out was more colors. Dots interrupted and blotted his sight for the most part, his vision still swimming uncomfortably. He turned to the Frenchman, the whispers still in his ears, his eyebrows furrowing. Something came out of his mouth, but it was breathy and indescribably short. "…you-…"

The wheezing was coming from his body, from his lungs. That was certain now. But when he tried to stop it, it only made things worse. Wheezes became gasps or almost nothing at all and the hole in his chest just kept growing.

Everything nearly went black, but there was some other voice; some other presence there. It helped, though he hadn't the slightest idea who it was, and his vision stopped swimming quite as much.

The Frenchman was becoming a bit clearer. He looked worried, but he seemed to be trying to be reassuring. Wait… had the frog survived the attack? Or were they both dead?

Francis's expression shifted, as if he was reprimanding himself, and he spoke again. It was in the same assuring tone, though it was still a bit urgent. "We're at Alfred's house, Arthur. Everything is alright… You need to breathe."

The clipped reply of, 'I'm trying,' didn't manage to come out. Neither did his pathetic attempt at rolling his eyes.

"Alright…" The man placed his other hand on his empty shoulder, calm but focused. "Listen to me. In…"

He caught the sound of a breath, one that was full and correct. For a moment he sat there, aware that his chest was rising and falling much too quickly, but he couldn't move. The reality of the situation hit him suddenly and he knew he would probably never live this down. He would never hear the end of it for panicking this badly over something that wasn't real…

…but, even if he knew it wasn't real now… he just couldn't get himself to calm down.

Francis met his gaze, the same stupid stubborn expression lighting his features as always. There was a look of understanding in his eyes, like he knew exactly what was going through his mind, and it said that he needed to stop being such an idiot and stop thinking that they would hold this against him. "Let's try this again. In…"

This time, he tried his best to match the other man's breathing. At the same time he tried to push down the panic that was still coursing through his veins and the images that accompanied it. The task was difficult to say the least.

There was a smile on the older nations face. "Good… everything's fine. Out…"

This went on for another few minutes, the Englishman still trying to keep his heart from making its way out of his chest. Eventually, his breathing began to settle into a more relaxed rhythm and his vision stopped trying to go dark. Other things became visible, like the stairs that were a few feet behind them and the lighting and…

When he looked to his right, he actually managed to take a large breath and let it out slowly. Absolute relief began to replace the panic in his veins. Matthew was sitting not far away, watching intently. He looked to have been trying to do his best to help. Beside him was Alfred, who held a similar expression. They seemed to share his relief, especially at the fact that he could actually look at them and see them.

Oh thank God… they were both here and they were both alive.

For a moment, part of his mind started to worry about the others, but soon enough his hearing began to work properly. There were numerous voices downstairs, some serious and others that seemed concerned. How long had he been asleep? What had happened?

There was something in the three's expression, something in the conversation below; information he knew he was missing. While they tried to make it look like all was well, something was definitely wrong.

Whatever it was… He could handle it. Arthur knew that. The world wasn't lost to darkness yet… The guardians still breathed, and so did the nations. So long as what they told him was different from what he had just witnessed, he could breathe too.

Although now, even while Francis tried to tell him that they were fine and that he had fallen asleep while trying to check the ward, he began to wonder about how he had received the nightmare in the first place. One of the nightmare kings horses could have found its way through, but he didn't sense any cracks. Things had been quiet the past few days and, while that had allowed them to create their defensive with more care, it also seemed more like the calm before the storm than anything else.

The bastard was giving them time to think because he was going to make his move, and he wanted them to know he was going to do it. He wanted them to try to stop him, and he wanted them to know that they would fail.

"Are you alright, Arthur?"

The Brit blinked, his eyebrows furrowing, and slowly nodded towards the other nation. "Yes…" He trailed off and held back a sigh, finding his hands still shaking from the blasted nightmare. "I'm fine, frog."

Francis brightened a little bit, probably taking the use of his 'nickname' as a good sign. If he knew something was wrong, which he obviously did, he chose to keep it to himself. Instead, he nodded slowly and turned to the North American Brothers. No words were passed, but they both seemed to understand. Moments later the two stood and made their way downstairs, sending wither a worried expression or a 'glad you're awake' his way.

Both felt like rocks sitting in his stomach, but he tried to make the best of them. They were just concerned… and he glad to be awake too, even if it meant he had to almost constantly check the ward. And he would gladly do that if it meant he could keep things safe.

There was a shift of something next to him- something that sounded very much like sand- and he almost jumped out of his skin, though thankfully he managed to turn his head before that happened. Rather than finding Pitch Black, he found the spirit's opposite. Arthur managed a small, relieved smile, whispering a soft apology for being ready to attack.

Sandy shook his head, smiling back. A few shapes formed over his head, creating a small scene. Though it was hard to read at first, it seemed to say that he would have done the same. The brit nodded, glancing again towards the other nation.

Francis seemed to understand what he was getting at, despite the lack of words, because he slowly stood and offered a hand to help him do the same. Arthur paused, looking at the appendage as if he had never seen anything like it before. He debated on taking his… friend? Up on the offer, but then quickly shook his head, attempting the endeavor on his own. Though he thought he could do it, and he assured as much, the world began to spin uncomfortably. Apparently his head hadn't quite recovered…

Something came up behind him and pushed him up, keeping him from falling. After he managed to stay still long enough for his vision to clear, he saw the guardian of dreams smiling almost fondly at him, shaking his head.

Raising an eyebrow, he questioned, feeling a little of the small mans amusement rubbing off on him, "What? Do I look like someone you know?"

Sure enough, a sand version of the Aster formed over Sandys head. Heh… Alright, apparently he acted like the Easter Bunny.

Heavy footsteps came from the stairs and the three paused, turning just in time to see North nod their way. The worry was plainly visible on his face, which Arthur couldn't help but be a little touched by. "It is good to see you are up," he greeted.

"...Good to be up." He was ready get back on track. They needed everyone on duty, and would be a welcome distraction now.

"That's what I like to hear." The man turned to the other two momentarily, "Have either of you heard anything?" When they shook their heads, his expression fell, though he seemed to understand. His gaze once again returned to Arthur and he motioned for him to follow. "Come. We need to fill you in."

Ah… he had forgotten how much could happen in a night. A death could occur, a war could begin, or a battle could be won to change course of it. Great…

When they got downstairs, the conversations shortly petered out. The group turned towards him, and, though one or two of the guardians were missing, he had to remind himself that they were all fine. The twins looked better, and so did the others that had been having nightmares. All they had to do was find a way to stop Pitch and… fix whatever new development they had yet to tell him.

There were a few glances towards the other nations and to Jack, which told him that the damage report may have been longer than he thought. Eventually, though, they turned to Tino.

The Fin sighed softly. "First… we found signs of Pitch in several different countries, namely here and in Europe." He paused a moment. "Second, I called Lukas. He started setting up wards at his place and around there. He does think he'll need your help, though.

Ah… Right, he remembered talking about that the day before. Arthur nodded, though the thought of leaving made him nervous, even if he knew the others could handle it.

"And… last thing…" Tino turned and met Jack's eyes, causing a shift in attention. The spirit nodded and sighed softly.

"Jamie contacted me yesterday and… Pitch attacked him, and his friends. As soon as you're done, we need to head over there."

The nation nodded, frowning at the mention of the boy. He hoped that he was alright… Still, that would mean that they had no time to spare. If the Nightmare King was risking attacking someone he knew could contact them, his power was still growing.

Damn, they had to find some way to slow him down…

Sensing the other's gazes on him, he nodded. For a moment he looked to the brothers and, begrudgingly, to francis, to let them know he was fine. He was about to head back upstairs to get his book, but it seemed that Tino was ahead of him.

The Fin lifted his spell book, smiling lightly. "Lets go." He motioned to North briefly while Arthur grabbed it. "He's going to take us." Seeing his raised eyebrow, he assured, "It shouldn't take long, and North is a great pilot."

While there was a snort from Bunnymund that wasn't exactly reassuring, he nodded. After sending a small wave to the others, grabbing a thicker coat, and briefly strengthening the ward, they were off. It took them little time to get off the ground and, to his relief, Tino hadn't exactly been lying. The ride was fairly smooth and they climbed higher into the sky, which was one of the only things the brit could manage to look at. It was either that or his book…

When he did look up, it was only to see Tino watching him. His gaze wasn't exactly knowing, but it was very… empathetic. That was still odd to see in other nations, especially when they were looking focusing it on him.

Arthur's jaw set a moment and he opened his book, skimming a few pages for spells he could use once they got to Lukas's place. "I'm fine."

A soft, "M'hmm…" let him know that Tino clearly did not believe him. Still, true to how the man normally acted, the tone wasn't harsh or condescending. It was patient; attentive.

He kept his eyes on glued to the book, knowing that if he looked up or started to think too much on it he would end up saying far more than he wanted. No, he just had to keep reading, and it would be fine… it had to.

All was silent for a minute or two, and then a harsh bump came from the front of the sleigh, jolting him out of his mind. "Wha-"

North craned his neck around, giving a smile that was the opposite of sheepish. "Sorry to interrupt your conversation," He began, clearly pointing to their lack of one. There was another bump and he dug around in his coat, pulling out something that looked very much like a snow globe. "But it is going to be bumpy from here."

While Arthur only had time to look surprised and hurriedly grasp at the rail next to him, Tino just called, "Hold on!" He didn't look worried in the slightest, making him wonder just how often the other nation rode in this thing.

He gripped a little tighter, clutching his book to his chest. "Right! I'll do that!" No shit, Sherlock!

Something exploded in front of the sleigh and the guardian drove them into it. The world, as well as his head, spun sideways. It reminded him a bit of the way they traveled… and it was refreshing to see a bit of new magic. Maybe he could learn how it worked after this was all over…

North was laughing up a storm in front of them. Tino was smiling like an idiot, and… Arthur felt his spirits lifting.

They could do this…

The kaleidoscope of light and colors began to fade to something else. Oranges and pinks became blues, and lighter tints of blue quickly changed to darker shades. Seconds later the brighter spectrum had disappeared completely, becoming a softly lit snow covered suburb. The winds howled over them and the clouded sky, as he had forgotten to recall, was dark. That immediately set him on edge, but he could feel the ward back at Alfred's. It was fine.

There was something off about it though…

The sleigh began its decent, causing him to grip tighter, and after a few turns and North called back, "I see him!"

Arthur managed to lean over, tucking himself a little further into his jacket as the wind bit into him, and spotted a blue blob near the ground as they approached the edge of the roads. The suburbs were just behind them, but Lukas's house was bright. The nation waved, and the brit could hear Tino calling something to him.

He nodded to himself, pulling his book a little closer, and tried to rid himself of the idea that something was going to go wrong. Moments later, the vehicle dropped with a soft thump onto the snow, and North hopped out. Turning, he saw that Tino was doing the same. He followed, stumbling once or twice on the slick ice covered snow before he got his bearings. When he caught up to the group he could immediately feel the energy from Lukas's ward. It had a different feel to it, but it was still strong; still well made. Not that he would have suspected anything less…

Said nation gave him a nod in greeting, his expression serious but not overly concerned. "Arthur."

"Lukas." His emerald eyes scanned the land around him, wondering exactly what the Norwegian needed assistance with. "The ward seems sturdy."

"Yes…" he huffed softly, glancing towards his house. "It has been holding, but I haven't received many visits." There was only a small frown on his face to show he was at all displeased, but he motioned them to come inside nonetheless. "I know its freezing."

Oh, it definitely was… But he knew the other three were used to it. He was the only one out of the loop. Still, he nodded and they hurried inside before any snow could follow them in. Arthur took a deep breath once inside, shaking his hands out briefly. He followed the others to the kitchen, but there was some feeling that was pulling him back. It was just… foreboding… and it seemed to grow stronger the more distance they put from the ward in America.

His eyes narrowed as he concentrated. There was nothing there… They had all checked and nothing had shown up. But then why…

"Arthur?"

The nation looked up, meeting three confused or concerned gazes. Lukas was the one who had spoken, however, and he hardly needed to voice the rest of his sentence for it to come across. "I'm fine…" Of course that was the second time within the hour he had had to assure that, and he was feeling it less and less. "The trip may need to be shortened, though… Theres… Something's off. We need to get back as quickly as we can."

The three nodded, and things immediately began to speed up. Lukas got right to the point, shuffling to the counter to grab a few of his things and a spell book of his own, "Emil has been having some trouble… I've been trying to set up a ward around his house but it isn't holding. I think it should work better with two, or three," He glanced briefly at North, "If you are willing."

The guardian nodded immediately. "Of course." He looked to Arthur, and judging by his shift the brit guessed he looked about as uneasy as he felt. "We will hurry. Lets go!"

With that, he rushed out the door, leaving the rest of them to rush to keep up.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Nations were talking around him, some softly and others not so much. They kept whispering about the nightmares, about the possibilities. That was nice and all, but he really just wished they would keep their mouths shut or take it somewhere else. For one, Feliciano was trying to actually sleep not far away and… other than that Lovino really didn't want to hear about any of the damned possibilities.

It wasn't like he thought about them enough without someone else bringing them up.

Sighing softly, he looked up at those standing. They looked more than a bit worried, and he didn't blame them one bit. Arthur's nightmare had rattled them all, especially because they had been trying to come up with some comprehensible defensive. It was more like gripping at straws, even when there were a few good points. It was even harder considering that, on a good day, most of the nations couldn't agree on lunch- much less a strategy.

Still… they had dealt with wars, and in a dire situation… they could come together well enough.

The first decision: secure their valuables. Grant it, in this case, there were a lot of those. Citizens, children, personifications left unaware and defenseless… Most of that was hard to keep together on a normal basis, but the guardians were quick and they had helped a lot. Still, even with that, there were so many loose ends...

Second decision: mount a defense. That had gone fairly well, or so they had thought… Arthur's nightmare wasn't exactly reassuring and, even though they had had little to tell them otherwise, there was still a feeling that everything was much too quiet.

He had felt before on battlefields… and what happened after had never gone well. Cursing up a storm internally, Lovino turned towards Feliciano, ignoring the others for the moment. His brother shifted a bit and he remembered to tone it down, but Feli looked peaceful enough.

The fact that the sandman was standing a few feet away did make things a little better, too. At least they had some solid way to stop an attack… or at the very least slow it down. And hopefully… hopefully Arthur, Tino and North knew what the hell they were doing.

There was another shift, and the Italian blinked, shaking himself out of his thoughts (who needed those, right?). He turned to find that Sandy was standing over Feliciano, back turned to him. For a moment, he was worried. Was his brother having another nightmare without him noticing? Had one of those bastard's horses snuck in? But, thankfully, his suspicions were shaken off when the guardian turned towards him, a smile playing at his lips.

Lovino raised an eyebrow and made a face, though he did manage a small, confused smile. What was Feli dreaming about..?

While he immediately shook off the thought, knowing that his brother's dreams were none of his business, it almost seemed like Sandy had heard his thought. The golden man's smile widened and he motioned for Lovino to join him. After a few moments of hesitation, he did.

"What?" he questioned softly, glancing at his sleeping twin, "something you think I need to see?"

Sandy shrugged, his smile becoming playful, and a scene began to form over his head. It was very intricate despite its size, which almost reminded him of some of Feliciano's paintings. It showed a field of flowers and, despite the scene being made from golden sand, he could tell that it actually was sunny in his brother's mind. There were a few figures, all of which he recognized. Feliciano was sitting in the center, looking utterly content. Ludwig was a few steps away, smiling. Kiku was there too, and Gilbert. For a moment he felt entirely excluded, but then he spotted the only moving figure.

It was him. He smiled a little, watching a much happier version of himself walk over to Feli, who grinned. He could see his personality, not at all altered in his brother's mind, not matter how abrasive it usually was. A warm feeling settled into his chest and he watched as his dream- self plop onto the ground, causing a swarm of something to come from the grass. The other figures laughed and he found that that 'something' was…

…It was a million fricken butterflies.

Lovino rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hold back a laugh when his dream-self stood and the butterflies began to chase him. The dream nations clearly found it just as amusing as his brother, and a few more entered the scene. They were all happy, content, and, even if he was being chased by decorative bugs, he was too. "Heh… thanks for remembering that, fratello."

The scene suddenly faded, reminding him all too quickly that the sandman was right in front of him. "Oh, uh…" he stood straighter and, after a few seconds of trying to determine how to react, chose to cross his arms. He tried to look like he didn't care, but that cover was already blown. Instead, something else left his mouth, as grumbly as is sounded. "…thanks…"

Sandy only smiled and nodded, a small smiley face forming above his head, followed by a cloud. For a moment, that threw him off. Then he decided that they were two different messages entirely. The first was that the sandman either liked him or thought he should try to smile more. The second told him he should probably get more sleep.

The Italian nodded, grateful for the thought as much as he tried not to show it. After giving a small wave, the guardian was off to check on some of the others. He glanced around a moment, but, as far as he knew, no one else was sleeping. And if the man was going to try and get Ludwig to sleep… he wished him luck.

The other nations were still going at their fair share of planning, though their conversations had died down to a point. They seemed to know that they needed to wait and see what would happen, and just what exactly Pitch was planning.

If the bastard touched anyone within their country, he would be sorry. If he laid a hand on anyone else, the others would give him hell. Basically… if he thought about it optimistically, there was no way the spirit could get out of this unscathed.

Served him right…

The noise around the room slowly began to die. Hmm… Maybe they had finally listened. He had asked- or maybe complained- enough times. When he turned, however, there was no sight of anyone besides the North American brothers and Ludwig. Lovino raised an eyebrow, but, searching their expressions, he found his answer. They looked just as protective as him, Matthew rivaling the other two who had actually had a taste of the Nightmare King's power.

The sight made a small smirk tug at his lips, though he did find it a bit strange that the Canadian's bear was nowhere in sight, and he nodded in thanks. "I thought they would never leave."

Matthew huffed softly in agreement. "Same." He turned to Alfred a moment, a familiar half- glazed look entering his eyes.

The Italian waited for their conversation to end, though it still bugged the hell out of him that they could talk to each other like that. He wasn't sure if Ludwig knew… and, glancing at the German, he saw that he wasn't even paying attention. He was instead looking down the hall towards the other nations, a wary look in his eyes.

What..? "What are you looking for, bastard?"

Ludwig responded with a curt, "nothing," before he returned his attention to the three of them, but that didn't stop Alfred and Matthew from zoning back in.

The American smiled slightly, looking less and less like the zombie he had been met with before. The bags under his eyes had lessened, and his mood had definitely improved. The others had gone through something similar, and thankfully Feli was quick to rebound. "Dude, he's gonna catch you sooner or later."

"I know… that's not what I'm looking for."

None of them looked very impressed. A bit of amusement began to bubble in his chest and Lovino crossed his arms again, relaxing a little. "You're a terrible liar. I would work on that because…" He motioned down the hall that had been empty moments before, finding the sandman at the end. He hadn't seen the other nation yet, but he soon would. "I think he's onto you."

Ludwig sent a fairly heated glare his way, but the Italian knew that it wasn't anger that caused it, not matter how much the German tried to hide it. The two nations next to him did too.

Matthew took a different approach, his expression softening. He looked a little out of place, and, considering how old Ludwig normally acted, it was a bit warranted. "It's really okay… Al hasn't had any nightmares since Sandy started taking watch. Right, Al?"

The American nodded. "Yeah, really. Hero's promise." When that elicited no response other than a begrudging look sent his way, Alfred continued, his jaw clenching for a moment like he was holding back a yawn. "I mean it. And… he really does look out for you. Trust me, you would rather have the dreams than be awake and think about all that crap."

For a moment, Ludwig looked like he was considering, and it appeared that he knew he would be fighting a losing battle. The rest of them obviously did… and the universe definitely had a way of showing it, though its voice sounded a little too much like Gilbert's. A clipped, "hey" came from the hall and they turned to see the man. He only smiled a bit a his brother, waving at the rest of them, and motioned for Ludwig to follow them.

After a quick glance in their direction, he did. It wasn't with a happy attitude, exactly, but it was still something.

Silence covered the room before Alfred sighed softly. "Well… that's one more thing settled."

Yeah… he was always one to look on the bright side of things, too. Lovino's eyes shifted to his brother once again, but there was little change. His breathing was still even. That was good… He was about to turn, but something came caught his attention first. for a moment it was as if he had imagined it, but then it came again.

Laughter. That stupid laughter…

Eyes narrowing, he brought his attention to the hall near Feliciano, scanning for any sign of movement. Nothing stood out, and it fell silent as quickly as he had heard it, but… what in the hell..? He had told Antonio (and subsequently Arthur) about it, but they hadn't found anything… He'd tried to convince himself that he was just hearing things, or that he needed more sleep, but it was still happening…

"Lovino?"

The Italian jumped slightly, immediately cursing himself for it, and turned. He met the brothers' eyes, assuring, "I'm fine… It's nothing." At their silence, he frowned, motioning to the hall Ludwig and Gilbert had just left through. "Go see how they're doing. I want to keep watch."

That wasn't an abnormal request, especially considering how paranoid he had been over the past few days, but they still seemed to know something up. Truth be told, he probably wasn't doing a very good job of hiding that. Shit… But really what was he expecting? Go down the hall and find the bastard? Then what? For all he knew he could just be baiting him to get to Feli… Or trying to make him think he was going crazy.

But then there it was again. It was louder, and, just as before, it made him want to bash something. Maybe he managed to keep that from showing, but Alfred and Matthew probably thought he was just angry about the whole situation.

Their response was a bit hesitant, but not disagreeable.

"Yeah…"

"Let us know if anything happens, okay?"

Lovino nodded, giving his best attempt at a reassuring smile. "I will." Oh, he was lying through his teeth… For a brief moment he questioned that. He could tell them, like he had the others, but-

God damn it. His fists clenched, and it was all he could do to not barrel down the hall in a rage. Stop mocking me, you fucking bastard.

The laughter was only getting louder, though, and the fact that it was jeering and unnerving only made him angrier. But, thankfully, the North American brothers had disappeared down the other hallway already.

Alfred was right; one more thing settled.

He didn't care what this did to him. There probably wouldn't even be anything there… and before he had time to change his mind, he was already halfway down the hall, walking much slower than he felt. There was a gnawing fear in his stomach, but that didn't make him stop. It didn't make him worry. Not this time. No… this time, it just fueled his anger.

"Haha..!"

Lovino whipped around. The laughter had been behind him, he knew that. Feliciano looked fine, and there were no weird shadows… So where in the hell was he? The cackling was almost in his ears now. Shaking his head, he followed the hall, which felt a lot longer than before. The further he went, the louder it got. Soon it was practically wringing in his ears.

His footsteps were misplaced; wobbly. They took him down other halls that he hadn't noticed before. Three, four, five… Alfred's house was big, yeah, but this big? There was another stumbling footstep. Was he running..? Where was he going? He knew he wanted to get to source of the noise- and probably strangle it- but he also wanted it to stop.

His steps did the same, halting in front of a closed door. The Italian glared at the air, asking vehemently to it, "Would you shut up..?!"

Suddenly… everything was silent. His head spun for a couple of seconds, the world phasing in and out like static until he managed to blink the disruption away. All was still, like time had stopped around him for the briefest moment, and then… he heard it. A voice whispered from everywhere around him, raspy and morbidly delighted, "You and I are very much alike."

The fear wasn't gnawing anymore; it was rampant. The words dissipated quickly, but it seemed like they were still hanging in the air. The world had stopped spinning now, but nothing looked familiar. Everything seemed different, though somehow still the same, and… His heart began to thump harder in his chest. Veneziano was still back there. If anything happened to him… oh no. No, no, no…

He had to warn the others, but how could he?

"Yes, yes, be afraid…"

The voice was behind him now, not all around. Lovino turned, eyes frantically searching for something. He scanned the hall, up and down and left and right, but there was nothing in sight. Nothing, nothing nothi-

Oh shit.

His shadow. It was mirroring him against the door, but as soon as he laid eyes on it… It was moving without him, growing up the walls. Soon it looked undeniably crooked, as if all of his bones had been broken. Eyes wide, he took a step away, but something told him it was useless to run.

The shadow fell into a more relaxed position, still rivaling past the height of the ceiling, and it gave him an unnerving smile. "You're the smart one, it seems… Everyone else ran for the hills." It, or he, turned down the hall, and Lovino could tell that the boogeyman found the situation extremely amusing. Then, slowly, the spirit turned back, and , even though he couldn't see his gaze, it pierced him. "I think a chat is in order before the fun begins…"

Mouth suddenly bone dry he swallowed and took a few steps back. The back wall hit him much quicker than he would have thought. Escape, escape… there had to be a way to get out of this and back to the others.

The Nightmare King seemed to roll his eyes. "A chat, Italy, not a slaughter." The shadow moved out of the doorway, leaving it empty, and began to move across the wall.

His mind stuttered, and then almost stopped entirely. "I-Italy…?" He wasn't… no one ever… No one ever called him Italy. There was more fear inching through his body, following the shock, and he absolutely loathed himself for it. Biting his tongue, he tried to force it back, to conjure up whatever had led him here in the first place. A retort began to simmer somewhere, but the shadow suddenly raced down the hall. He was forced to go after it, stumbling through whatever nightmare he had been thrown into.

Lovino rounded a corner, eyes searching frantically for any sign of the stupid spirit. He knew he should have gone back to tell the others, but, like running had felt before, something told him it wouldn't work. It wouldn't be allowed to work.

Arthur's wards had obviously not worked as well as they had thought.

Another corner, another hall, another-

Color. It flashed to his left and then to his right, coming up quicker and quicker. It looked familiar. It looked like nations… but that was ridiculous. The others were all in another part of the house and they couldn't get here, even if he was still at Alfred's house… The Italian tried to see if he was right, but a wall was suddenly in front of him. He had no choice but to rush to stop, nearly tripping to the ground before he managed to get his feet to skid to a halt.

Two sets of eyes met his when he turned, and the anger he had been attempting to conjure vanished.

All he could manage to do was stare because nothing about this made sense. "You… y…" What..? Matthew and Gilbert stared back at him with mirrored expressions, both just as confused. They remained like that for a few seconds before Lovino could finally force himself to move, his head turning like an owl when he looked between them. "You-" His mouth faltered as well, the words refusing to come out until he made them. "You were just out there! How are you here?! I thought-" He thought Feli had had someone to check on him, he though Gilbert gone off into the other part of the house…

The other two nations had little time to answer. A sharp laugh caused them all to freeze, and, when they began looking for the source, they found it to be the room nearest Matthew. The Canadian met their eyes, his own frantic, when the closed door began to creak open.

Lovino's mind had been pulling at strings to try and understand how they had gotten here, but it was obvious that someone else was yanking at them, too… and not just his. The three waited for the door to stop moving and, after a quick look in agreement, they cautiously entered the room. They knew as well as he did… running would get them nowhere right now.

The room was quaint, but not small. A paino was sitting against the back wall, the only thing taking up space. The hallway's light provided a little visibility, but it didn't take any of them long to find the silver eyes bearing into theirs, or to realize that their shadows had escaped them and were now taking another form.

"Well… that was easier than I expected."

The sand that Lovino now despised began to appear and rapidly take shape, solidifying into the nightmare king himself. He watched them with a delighted gleam in his eyes, towering over them as if he needed to get a good look. "Now… what do we have here?" The edge to his voice made the Italian shiver, but he stood his ground. Still, it took all of his will power to not look away when the boogeyman looked him in the eyes. "The excluded…" The eyes quickly shifted to Matthew, and then to Gilbert. An unnerving smile played at his lips. "The Forgotten, and…The ghost…" He gazed down at them, resting a hand on his chin, something patronizing beneath the disgusting light in his eyes. "It took all of you long enough to get here, but…" He laughed again, his attention returning to Lovino in a snap. "Really, you get worked up so quickly." There was something in his tone, something about how knowing it was, that made him realize that the words were directed at all of them. "Over what? A silly brother?"

The nation clenched his fists at his sides, but someone beat him to the punch. Literally.

He thought that it would have been Gilbert, considering how his hands were bunched together and how he looked one second away from lunging, but it was Matthew that beat them both. The Canadian growled out something and launched himself at the spirit. Pitch had little time to blink, let alone dodge. There was a split second where it seemed that younger nation would take him down, as he should have, but instead he fell through him. And, rather than coming out clean, he was covered in patches of dark sand; like he had only gone through half of the Boogeyman.

If his coughs were anything to by, it sounded like he had gotten some inside of him, too.

Gilbert was the first to react, rushing forward and sending a punch or two at the spirit. Those were just as ineffective as Matthew's would have been.

Pitch sighed, stepping smoothly out of the way before he held up a hand. "Oh please," He chided, his tone something between condescending and feigned, "There's no need for violence." At the german's glare, he gave a small wave of his hand and the sand began to disappear. "See?"

There was a moment of silence, and it was just quiet enough for Lovino to hear Matthew's now raspy voice. "Gil..?"

Eyes wide, Gilbert immediately bent down and helped him up. "Yeah, come on, Birdie…" The Canadian gave a rough cough and nodded, blinking a few times. After a few seconds he seemed to get his bearings and gave a small nod in thanks, looking cautiously at the Nightmare king as he returned to where he had been standing.

The man smiled, looking more pleased than anything else. "There, isn't that better?" His silver- gold eyes looked them over, but they stuck to the younger nation for the most part. "Though I do have to admit, I thought you would be the reasonable one."

Lovino walked over to join them, glaring daggers. He patted Matthew's back, and received a small, "thanks," in return before his friend replied, eyes filled with fire,

"If you call me anything close to reasonable again…" He shook his head. "I wont be."

The spirit nodded, his expression shifting to something like bored, but still accommodating. "Very well." He was silent for a few moments, looking at them; waiting. After a moment, though, he slowly began to talk. "I have a proposition for the three of you… and whether you choose to take it or not is your decision."

He wanted to laugh. A proposition? After all he had done? Was he kidding?

Again, it was almost like Pitch knew exactly what he was thinking; like he knew exactly what to say to push their buttons. "This is a real proposition… and I think it would be fair before I continue with my plan to ask. Would you join me?"

There was a beat that passed, one that was utterly and completely silent. And then Gilbert started laughing like he had had one drink too many.

"Y-you want us to… to join you..?"

The man nodded, his brow knitting together. "Well, yes, that was the general idea."

The German laughed a little harder, but, slowly, it seemed he started to realize that the offer was genuine. His eyebrows furrowed and his laughter died as soon as it had started.

The nightmare king seemed to take their stunned silence as a sign to continue. "It's only an offer. But, really… what have they ever done for you?" He waited, but none of them could force their mouths to work at the absurdity of the situation. Maybe he knew how it sounded, but he kept going anyway. "If anything, they are the reason you are all excluded, like me." His eyes shifted to each of them, his tone now unreadable. "They have left you for others, ignored you, or have become so busy they have nearly forgotten about you themselves… I don't see any reason for you to turn the offer down."

The words were heavy in his mind, but he knew that the bastard was just trying to play them. There was no reason he would really want them to take the offer, and… even when the spirit had managed not to say a single lie about any of their brothers… he wasn't about to leave his fratello.

Lovino glanced at the others and, when he saw they were wholeheartedly on the same page, he shook his head. They said as one, "No."

Pitch sighed, as if he truly wished they had chosen differently. "What a pity… We were going to have so much fun."

The Italian didn't even try to bite his tongue this time. They were already in for it, but if he could stall long enough, he could probably wake Feliciano and tell him to get the others. "Were you expecting a welcoming party, you bastard?" He wanted to ask so many other things, like why the hell he chose to wear something that looked like a dress for millennia or why he had wasted his time trying to get them to join when he knew they…

Wait…

He knew that they wouldn't join. Oh, shit… Lovino's mind scrambled, trying to get in touch with Feli. Come on, fratello… wake up, damn it! 

The Boogeyman smiled, clearly enjoying their realization, and raised one hand, twirling his bony fingers. A small horse began to take shape, and, slowly, canter around the air near it's masters head. "I don't think you fully understand… The ward was my welcome. And now you three are… well, lets say that you are my ticket to belief."

The other two stood still, catching onto the idea that they were a part his plan. A big part.

"…your ticket?" Matthew had spoken, but his attention seemed to be elsewhere. It was like earlier, when he had been speaking with Alfred. Pitch nodded and is his smile widened. Only Lovino saw the searching look in the Canadian's amethyst eyes shift into something panicked, did he begin to understand why. He floored his mind, dug into it, but… he wasn't having difficulty because Feli was asleep. It was something else entirely.

The conversation continued, but to him it felt like it shouldn't have. This shouldn't happen. They were part of the same country and… "Yes… and I wouldn't bother trying to reach them. They're a little… preoccupied."

The link was silent. That had never, ever happened before… There was something blocking it, something strong, and he had no clue what it was. It was bad, it had to be, but…

Gilbert looked a bit confused, but he seemed to begin to understand soon enough. "What did you do?" His voice was calmer than theirs would have been, but it wasn't controlled. They were all afraid.

When no answer came, it was Matthew that repeated the question. The younger nation sounded about as terrified as he felt. "What did you-" Suddenly, his voice chocked. He started to cough again, and the nightmare sand began to reappear quicker than it had been removed.

Lovino took deep breaths, trying to get his heart to stop beating in his throat and his pulse from throbbing like a broken metronome. He… he couldn't let the bastard have this much control over him. He couldn't let it get a hold of him… He wouldn't. That said, it was harder than it looked. After a few seconds he began to realize he didn't have time and he and Gilbert began to take try to help Matthew, but they knew the only thing they could really do to for him was get him to Sandy.

The boogeyman's smile was lethal. "I didn't do anything… you did."

The light outside flickered, and he tried again to calm down. His breaths slowed a little, becoming a bit more controlled. For a moment he thought that someone else had said something, but he managed to speak regardless. "What do you want?"

The response came quickly; abruptly. It was a cold, dark laugh and it brought a shiver to all of them. The room was still, utterly silent, and he continued, "I said you were my key to belief… There are different ways I can get that to key to turn. So… one last chance…" More horses were forming now, but there was more than that coming. The sand wasn't everywhere yet, but if they tried anything at all… it would be.

Pitch met their eyes, his hand falling for a moment, and a choked feeling entered the air around them. His eyes were nearly entirely black in the shadows, the final offer hanging in the air when they all knew what the answer would be.

Lovino turned and met the other nation's eyes. They just looked, and waited, matthew still coughing up a storm. In seconds, the Italian felt for the younger man next to him. Whatever was happening to him.. They couldn't stop it unless they said yes, and they were not going to make that decision. He felt for Gilbert too. He had actually gotten to know them, from world meetings when they had been collectively left out, and… whatever happened to them from his next words, he knew that they wouldn't come out in one piece.

But then again… neither would he.

The two nodded and he straightened, managing a small smirk. "Go to hell."

The Nightmare King nodded slowly, his tone almost regretful. "Very well…" he twirled his fingers, the midnight sand pooling out around him, and smiled. "If I'm going, I may as well take you with me."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
His eyes scanned the room, but, again, there was no one there. The feeling was pounding in his heart and racing through his veins and… "Matt? Mattie?"

Alfred knew that no one would answer, but he still called anyway. This was way too close to his nightmares… He remembered the assurances, and those had been great at the time, but now they were no help at all.

I can't even hear him! Shaking his head, cursing any word he could think of, he called out, "I don't see him anywhere!"

There was a loud, frustrated yell that came from the living room, Arthur being the source. They had checked the house and there was no sign of them, none at all. Feliciano was going just about as nuts as he was, and Ludwig was definitely not his usual controlled self. Antonio had to rush to calm them down so they didn't have some kind of aneurism. And Francis…

He was rushing up from the hall, having checked there for the fifth time. Tooth was with him and it looked like she was trying to calm him down, but it obviously wasn't working. He gestured frantically at Arthur, "Do something! You're one who made the ward!"

"I'm trying!" Arthur was flipping through the spell book faster than he would have thought possible, searching for anything that could help them. "I don't understand! We should have sensed something, found something, by now. Why is there nothing?!"

North and Bunny came from behind him. For a moment, like the other moments when they had come from another part of the house, he felt a little hope. But, just as before, they shook their heads, looking just as frustrated as everyone else.

"He had to have taken them somewhere. He can mess with reality with his- his shadows." Jack had come back searching from the biting cold outside, but if his expression was anything to go by he was close to creating a storm inside. "I cant think of anything else it could be."

Oh of course he could alter reality… of fucking course.

Arthur was still flipping through pages was beyond aggravating… or maybe it was something else. Alfred had only been standing still for about ten seconds but it felt like an eternity. He shook his head, his fists clenching, and turned to check the halls again. Even if he had already checked them, and it would probably drive him insane, it was better than being still. However, he found there was an obstacle in his way. He paused only a moment and grit his teeth, his voice rising, "Get out of my way, Ivan!"

The Russian shook his head, his gaze firm. "Nyet. Arthur is working on something. Give him a minute to find it." For a moment, he looked past him towards the Brit in question. "If he would take the time to process the words."

The room fell silent, everyone turning to look at the man. A few of the guardians nodded in agreement, though it was Tooth who spoke. She rested a hand on the older nation's shoulder, advising softly, "Just take a few moments. Try not to focus on too many things at once." It sounded like she was talking from experience.

If it was anyone else, the American was sure that Arthur would have ignored the words. This time, though, he nodded, glancing his way. Heh, as if that would make him stay put…

He took a second to look over Ivan's stance, and, sure enough, it looked like he was prepared to make him sit, kicking and screaming, if he had to. Damn it… He looked towards the hallway again. Come on, Matt… just show up…

Pages were flipping, though there was no murmuring yet. He waited, fingers ingrained into his palms. The seconds ticked by, agonizing… And then… it was like someone had pulled a veil from over his eyes. Eyes widening, he heard some kind of harsh 'plop' from one of the rooms. "Matt!" Without waiting for the others, he barreled past Ivan and down the hall, stumbling past a couple doors before he spotted them.

He knew he had checked, double checked, and triple checked that room. Jack had been right. And the sight nearly made him stop cold, but he had had enough of that. Instead, Alfred rushed into the room, yelling behind him, "Sandy, get in here quick!"

He didn't need to see the sand on his brother to know that something was terribly wrong. The hacking coughs were enough to tip anyone off, and if not that then… God… He pulled Matthew over to him, remembering to elevate the top half of his body, and checked the others. They were covered in nightmare sand as well, though they didn't seem to have as much of a cough, if any at all. "Matt..?" He nudged him as gently as possible, but it obviously wasn't gentle enough.

Matthew jolted up a few inches, snapping awake, a half cry choking out of his throat. That hardly lasted, however, before he doubled over, his body shaking from coughs more violent than before.

He tried his best to stop them, despite knowing and feeling that he was utterly useless in the current situation. That had never stopped him from helping before, though, and it definitely wasn't going to now. The others had reached the room by now, Ludwig and Feliciano rushing in just as he had. Sandy hurried in as well, and made his way to Matthew, immediately concentrating on the handful of dream sand he threw over him.

The effect was gradual, the sand slowly turning a bright golden yellow. His brother's breaths, which had been few and far between, began to calm a to a point, as well as his coughs. Alfred allowed himself a breath of relief, nodding while trying to convey just how thankful he was. The guardian only gave a small smile and went to tend to the others, while Francis joined him, arthur not far behind.

"Mattie," he prodded, resting a hand on the trembling shoulder in front of him, "Its okay now…"

Slowly, Matthew looked up and met their eyes. For a moment, it seemed as if he didn't recognize them, but then he nodded weakly, turning to each of them, a nonexistent laugh leaving his lips. "…'kay," he grated.

Alfred smiled back, but then the feeling in the room began to change. The noise was louder, the somewhat frantic reassurances became panicked once again. When he turned to see Lovino he saw that the golden sand was quickly transforming into black again. Immediately, he looked to Gil, finding the same results. Sandy was there, next to Ludwig, and was trying again to bring the sand to its original form, but it never lasted longer than a couple of seconds.

Seconds later, when the weight fell out of his lap and he heard a sharp breath from Francis, his attention returned.

"Mathieu-"

His brother had fallen out of his lap, his body wracked so hard with coughs it almost as if he was having a seizure. The sand stuck to him was a grueling dark, and he felt his stomach drop when he saw some of it come from inside his twin. The specks were beginning to swarm around his head like dust mites as well, though they never remained in one place for too long.

Francis attempted to help by rubbing his back and trying to keep him elevated, but it did little good. Arthur, meanwhile, was… He was looking around, mumbling something. If things in the room had changed quickly before, now they seemed to stop entirely. Matthew gave a particularly hard jolt, and Arthur became just as still. His emerald eyes remained locked on his brother, more terrified than they had been minutes ago, and he slowly breathed out, "oh God…"

When Alfred followed his gaze, he heard something else too. It sounded like… The American all but stopped breathing, watching with everyone else in the room as his brother propped himself up against the wall, his chest heaving from his coughs and an odd, breathy laughter.

His head rose, and his darkened eyes stared at everyone, a smirk on playing on his lips. "Hello…" His voice was nearly an overlay, the other tone much lower; older.

They watched for only a second, though it felt years longer, as Pitch Black stared at them through Matthew's eyes. As Alfred met his gaze, frozen, his heart both stopped and pounding, sand began to cut into him. It swirled around the room, quicker than anyone, even Tooth, could move. It enshrouded the three, and the last thing he heard was a smug, "Goodbye," before the darkness swept them away.


	13. Chapter 13

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Feliciano was used to feeling useless.

In fact, that feeling had nearly become a part of him. It had been in his life since he was a child, since his grandfather had grown weaker and weaker, and he could do nothing but watch; since he had been left waiting for Holy Rome to return, unable to quench the young Empire's desire to grow stronger, only to find out years later that he had been killed.

And then, like a ghost, it had followed him throughout the years; when he had been relentlessly bullied by other nations; when he had managed to become his own person, along with Lovino; when he had tried and failed to do something for his part in the Great War, when he changed sides and all but betrayed his allies… and when he could do nothing to stop the next World War. When he could do nothing to save his people, when he could only watch Ludwig tear himself apart, when he could only stand by when Kiku was bombed for his refusal to stop fighting, when Germany itself was separated. It had remained with him when he was in world meetings, when he could feel the condescending gazes of the other nations and hear their cutting insults that he had already begun to call himself ages ago.

"Useless Italy," they would mutter under their breath, and beneath his smile he would always hear it. It would always hurt…But it would always be the truth.

He knew that he was useless. He had known for centuries, no matter how hard he tried to prove them wrong. And now… now everything- every god damn thing- was proving them right.

Now, he had never felt so helpless; so utterly useless. Now, 'Useless Italy' was crying, because he was panicked, he was terrified, and… there was nothing he could do to get his brother back. Not now. Not when Pitch had possessed one of their own and the way to find them- the link he shared with Lovino for as long as he could remember, the thing that had kept him sane in everything that had happened in his stupid life- was gone.

It didn't help that he was close to Gilbert, and he had become friends with Matthew as well after spending enough time with Alfred…

He could already feel the other nations beginning to become their own downfall. They were all so scared and worried that they were beginning to tear the delicate stitches that had been keeping them together. There was yelling-violent, aggressive…- and he could hear that Alfred was nearly having a panic attack, and Ludwig was… he was a mess. They all were a mess. Three nations- arguably the most ignored of them all- taken from right under their noses, and it was causing everything they had worked for to come crashing down…

There was absolutely nothing he could do for them, for any of them… and because of that, he sobbed.

He thought of the nightmares that had taken a hold of him, nearly as much as this feeling had. Parts of them flashed in his mind, one after the other. The things he had heard, the failures he'd caused… and the destruction he had wrought because of them.

The words he knew deep down, the insult from those he trusted, as he bled out in the darkness. "You were always useless, Italy."

Heart pounding, stomach dropping as he saw the bomb from behind his brother's shoulder. The silence that followed, enveloping the house and his mind… 

That silence warping into a newfound torture in a cell he had found himself in, everything on the outside world lost…

The shadows- both monsters and children made into such beasts- enveloping that lost world, wrapping tendrils around him as a larger, more powerful force cornered him…

There had been more. Many, many more… Some he couldn't recall anything but that same feeling. He shakily gripped his hair, his teeth clenching together. He was done with it… he didn't want to feel this anymore. He didn't want to be useless any longer.

…but what could he do?

Feliciano sniffed, trying to push down the ample amount of emotions fighting for supremacy, and- more importantly- dragging him even lower. There was a part of him that was itching and screaming, trying to tell him something.

The nations were still so loud around him, but he tuned that out for a moment, listening to that part of him. It sounded remarkably like Lovino when it spoke, but he knew his brother was still blocked from his mind…It was just something that ran deeper than Pitch knew.

Fuck that feeling, it argued. You don't have to be what they think you are. You're scared, and that's okay, but you don't have to sit here; you don't have to let yourself become their words. Fight it. Win, Veneziano. 

Don't just let it control you… That was what Pitch wanted. He wanted them to search, to argue, and to panic until it was too late. Maybe, even more than that, he wanted them to destroy themselves, too. And he wasn't going to let himself be a pawn in that fight. Not now. Not ever.

He forced himself to look up and witness the chaos; to see the panic and worry and sadness he could make out his friends' eyes. It riled up his own, tried to make it take a hold of him again, but he took a deep breath, wiped the tears away, and considered what to do next. Possible words he could say to calm the other nations flitted around in his mind, but they didn't seem right… No… He had relied on words for peace far too much in his life.

After all… actions did speak louder. He had learned that a long time ago.

Feliciano stood purposely, only a few of the others actually noticing, and walked to where he had set his bag. Fumbling through it, he found a small wooden flag underneath all of his things. He wasn't entirely sure why he had brought it… especially when Lovino had insisted on packing most of his clothes. The reason had been somewhere along the lines of, "you're a zombie," which made him feel a little better now, despite the ache. The flag wasn't very big, but he figured that it would do.

He caught one or two more eyes when he returned to the fray. The Guardians did spot him, but he only gave their worried looks a small, fragile smile in return. Without a pause, he waved the flag enough to get the others' attention. When they paused, and turned to him in confusion, he sighed and put the flag on the ground. Slowly, he made his way through the nations. The volume dropped dramatically, and the eyes moved in his direction.

The Italian paid them no mind, however, focusing on two different forms. He went to Ludwig first, though he did feel a little bad about that, considering how Alfred looked… Nonetheless, he looked the younger nation in the eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder. His voice wasn't strong, as someone else's might have been. It wasn't as calm as it could have been either, but he didn't expect it to be. Instead, it was like a pat on the back, a hand reaching out… or a promise from a friend. "We'll get him back."

Ludwig didn't respond, though the frantic look in his eyes dimmed a bit. His posture relaxed, if only slightly. Now Feliciano allowed a smile, turning to the American next to him. His heart immediately went out to those frightened blue eyes, and he reached out, placing a hand on the younger man's trembling one. His other half had just been possessed… it was more than understandable that he was having trouble getting up again. He repeated, "We'll get him back."

Alfred sniffed softly, nodding in response, and he could sense a strong 'thank you' coming from both of them. Feliciano only smiled back in return, knowing it looked far stronger than he felt, and noticed that the room had fallen silent. He was commanding all their attention. Heh… that was new. He turned towards Arthur and Tino, who were the most likely to have some sort of idea of what to do, and then briefly to the guardians. They had said something about going to visit somewhere before, hadn't they..?

Of all the people who could have seen his train of thought, it was Ivan who took the reins he had somehow begun to carry. The Russian was one of the least affected… probably. His relationship with gilbert-or how he perceived that relationship- was a mystery to them all, and Feliciano wasn't really sure if the man knew Matthew very well. But the Russian nodded and spoke in his place, eyes wandering around the group. "We do have a child to visit, da? He might have some information."

Feliciano waited for a call in agreement, noticing a look sent by the towering man to the shaken nations next to him. The others thought he couldn't read the atmosphere at all, but… after being alive as long as he had it was difficult not to pick a few things up. The look was similar to an apology, trying to make up for any misplaced frustration or anger that may have come from his comment. The two seemed to accept it, which was a start, and Jack went on, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah… Jamie will have something. He's a smart kid, trust me." He gave them a reassuring smile. "'we'll get them back in no time."

The nations around him nodded, and, slowly, they began to converse again. It was softer, but… much more productive. Within minutes they knew what transportation they were using and where they needed to go to get to Jamie's. A few nations had decided to use their own means, which would hardly take any time at all. Arthur, Tino, Francis, and Alfred were going to ride with North, while Tooth and Jack flew. Feliciano decided to stick with Ludwig even after Arthur came by to help Alfred up. He didn't want to see his friend awkwardly mulling around, and he knew that Antonio and he could come up with enough conversation.

They began to head out, together instead of as individuals, with one goal in mind. Feliciano followed up the group when a draft hit him, his hand about to close the door. Frowning, he turned to see that his white flag, still lying forgotten on the ground, had been unknowingly broken in half from someone's weight. For a brief moment he stood; he watched. Then, he gave a small smile, as if to tell it goodbye, and he stepped out, the door shutting securely behind him. The feeling was still there, underneath it all, but… he wasn't going to let it overwhelm him. Not when so many people needed him.

No… there was no room for white flags today.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

To say Jamie was paranoid was… an understatement. Yeah, it was definitely an understatement.

He had woken up a few nights ago to what was probably the worst nightmare he had ever had. And, to add onto it, part of it seemed to have already become real the second he had opened his eyes. His friends- all of them- had been attacked, too. There was little he or any of them could do after that but sit, wait for the sun to rise, and try to alleviate their own fears.

Sophie had the only ray of light they had. She had woken up shortly after they had from the noise, apparently spared from Pitch's Nightmares. When she saw how distressed they were, she did what she could. She got her band of stuffed animals and told stories, jokes… whatever her mind could think of. Slowly, as the sky got brighter, the aftereffects of the nightmares began to lessen.

As morning came, his friends had to leave. They promised that they would keep a lookout and call him if anything else happened. He knew they would, but… He couldn't help but worry about what would happen, even if Pitch didn't show up for another couple of days or longer. What would happen to the guardians or his friends if they couldn't contact him in time, or Sophie?

But they had called. It had started the night after with Monty. Jamie had answered the phone, dead tired, to hear his friend, obviously distressed, say what he was still dreading. "I-it happened again, Jamie…" He knew that he was looking for reassurance from him, because Jamie was the one who had held onto belief the longest… longer than anyone. But… the others knew that he had needed someone to keep his light shining on the globe, too.

Still, he tried his best to reassure his friend, and the others who ended up calling later that night and the next, even when he had another nightmare of his own. They wanted to know if he had tried to get a hold of Jack, where he was… None of them knew. Their friend could have been in the middle of a battle with Pitch at that moment for all they could say.

Jamie sighed softly, and stood for the tenth time. Another day had gone by. He was still hopeful, because the guardians could handle anything so long as they kept their heads up, but he was itching for a response. A visit, a call, a bit of snow- anything. His mom had been trying to get him to lie down for the past hour, claiming that he was sick. Honestly… now that he'd had a little sleep deprivation, he looked it. And… he kind of felt it too. But still, he wasn't going to take it sitting down.

He'd already tried to get in contact with Jack again. From what he could tell- and hope- the lack of response meant that they were on their way… but that didn't make him feel any better. Unsure, he glanced towards Sophie, who- despite his mom's attempts- had "snuck" into the room to keep him company. She was more worried about him than anything else after the nightmares, especially since she'd had none of her own, and he had already asked about her stomach. It had gotten a little worse, but it was nothing like his. At least there was that.

His sister looked up suddenly, probably sensing his gaze, her eyes wide and curious. "Are you feeling better?"

Jamie smiled a bit, answering right back, "Yeah, Soph, a little."

Her eyebrows scrunched up and she sat back with her favorite stuffed animal. "You sure..?" Her eyes looked to his stomach, where she had placed a Band-Aid around half an hour ago.

He nodded again and added, his smile growing, "Yup. You did a great job, Doctor Sophie."

Her wide smile was enough to actually make him begin to feel better, and they returned to a comfortable silence, Sophie playing with some of her toys that she had brought in to help keep them company. It didn't last long, however, before familiar footsteps began down the hall. Blinking, Jamie shuffled to the bed and sat down again, hoping that it looked as if he'd been there the entire time. Moments later the door opened, and his mom poked her head in.

She smiled at him, and if she knew he hadn't been sitting she didn't say a word. "Hey, sweetie… how're you feeling?"

He shrugged, trying not to look as frantic as he felt. "I'm a little better."

Sophie nodded and leaped to his aid, smiling proudly. "I helped."

His mom smiled back. "You did?" When Sophie nodded again enthusiastically, she laughed. "That's great. Jamie will be up and playing again in no time." She looked at the both of them and he smile fell a little. He knew she really was worried. "I'm going to go out and get some soup for you two. Are you going to be okay on your own for a little bit?"

Jamie looked to Sophie, just to make sure it was okay with her. When she nodded, he did so as well. "Yeah, mom, we'll be fine."

She nodded slowly, still a little reluctant. "Alright… I'll be back in half an hour- an hour max. Call me if you need anything, okay? Love you."

He and Sophie both nodded, saying the same, and their mom shut the door. Moments later the car left the driveway. Jamie sighed again and turned towards the window. I hope they're all okay… He was worried, even if he knew he was being impatient.

After a few minutes he began to play with Sophie, trying to let himself get caught up in whatever story she had created. It was never very hard for him to do, and that hadn't changed. Soon he was helping her rescue a lion wizard with a horde of other animals, making silly voices that his sister would sometimes correct. This went on for a little while, and they were just about to make the group of spy animals fly when he heard a knock. It was closer this time.

Eyes narrowing, Jamie set the toys down and turned towards his door. He listened. The knock came again, but it wasn't from that direction. Immediately, he sat up and rushed to the window, grinning, and pulled it open. The spirit on the other side helped him, meeting the smile with his own.

"Hey, Jamie." Jack leaned inside, and, despite his smile, Jamie could tell something was clearly wrong. "How're you feeling?"

Shrugging, he raised an eyebrow at the other noises he could hear outside. When he tried to lean out the window to see, Jack gently pushed him back in. "What is it? Are the other guardians here?"

His friend glanced behind him and proceeded to roll his eyes. "Yeah, they are. And um… there are some others too. You think you could let us in?"

Though he was a bit confused as to who those others were, he nodded and headed towards the front door, Sophie greeting Jack as he left. He neared the front door, eyeing it curiously when the noise outside it became clearer. There were a lot of different voices, and accents. And he found that odd, and a little worrying that his stomach felt… it didn't exactly feel sick anymore, but there was definitely something not right about it.

Moments later he told himself to shake it off. Whoever they were, they were with Jack and the other guardians, so it was fine. He opened the door and…

There were a lot of people. And they really didn't look good. They may have been other spirits, though he wasn't sure, but they sort of… felt different. It wasn't a bad different, but he knew they weren't the same kind of entities the guardians were.

There was a man with blonde hair at the front of them- well… actually there were a few different people with blonde hair, but one of them nodded towards him. He spoke with a British accent. "Hello, lad. Could we come in..?"

Jamie nodded, eyes shifting briefly to the other blonde man next to that guy. He looked younger, and kind of felt… familiar. When he caught his eye he felt something sort of weird, but the man smiled at him, despite how tired he looked. The brunet could only blink and smile back, moving out of the doorway so the group could come in. He spotted Sophie and Jack on the stairs, but his sister rushed past when she saw her favorite guardian.

"Bunny!"

The giant rabbit turned, surprised for only a split second. He grinned and picked the little girl up as soon as she reached him. "Hey, ya little ankle biter. How've you been?"

Her smile was enough to light up the room, and she was practically bouncing from excitement. "I've been good."

Bunny nodded, though he raised an eyebrow. "Good, huh?" He glanced over at Jamie. "Been taking care of your brother?" When Sophie nodded proudly, his smile softened. "I knew you would." He turned to the other people in the room, some of which had already seated themselves, and mellowed a little. When he had Sophie situated, he asked, "Alright… well… who wants to take care of introductions?"

Jamie glanced around, noticing a few of the guardians seem ready to take the job, but it was a blonde man he had noticed before who raised his hand. He pushed his glasses up and gave a meek smile. "Um… I'll do it."

A few gave him unsure glances. The British guy asked, "Are you sure?" When the man only nodded, they gave in.

The man looked between him and his sister, his smile widening a little. "So… this might sound a little weird… I know you're in the same room as the Easter Bunny and Santa and everything, but still."

Jamie shrugged and gave him a smile. He already felt pretty comfortable with this guy. That did make him wonder, but he always kept an open mind. "Try me."

"Alright, well…" He paused. "First off, I'm Alfred." He pointed to the British guy and added, "Arthur," and then pointed around the room, allowing everyone to list off their names. It was kind of odd, and cool, that they seemed to be from so many different parts of the world. "It's cool if you can't remember all their names, but uh…" He trailed off, a little unsure. Eventually, he gestured to the guardians. "You know how they're spirits and sort of embodiments of different things, right?"

He nodded slowly, slowly recalling something he had read in one of his books. He started playing with an idea. "Yeah…"

Alfred glanced to the others, and then back at him. "Well… we personify something a bit different."

Sophie was listening intently from her spot with Bunny and narrowed her eyes, probably not understanding some of the words used. "Personify..?"

The man opened his mouth to explain, but Jamie beat him to it. "It's when a person represents something- like how jack personifies winter, or how…" He trailed off for a moment, looking the new group. If he was right…

Alfred nodded. "Exactly. And we personify-"

"Countries." Everyone in the room turned to stare at him, equally shocked, and Jamie shrugged. "I found a few things about it online. And I've seen a few cartoons in history class with Uncle Sam and other personifications on them."

The room was silent for a few moments, and a few of them slowly nodded. "Oh…"

He glanced at Sophie and saw she had already accepted what they had said, and was smiling at the nations. The guardians still looked surprised he had found the answer on his own, but that was okay. He was a little surprised too. But… wait… "So…" He looked at Alfred again, a smile slowly making its way onto his face. "You're America, right? That's so cool!"

The American laughed softly. "Yeah… I guess it is." He paused, just for a moment. "It's nice to meet you. You did a great job beating Pitch."

"Oh uh…" he smiled sheepishly, glancing over at Jack. "It wasn't just me."

The winter spirit shrugged, giving his usual smirk. "I can only take so much credit. You're the one who believed in me."

There was a moment of silence as he smiled widely and Alfred peeked over at his sister. "Nice to meet you too, Sophie."

She grinned suddenly, nodding. "You too, Mister America."

His nation smiled, and Jamie could tell that that was what he normally looked like, not the sleep deprived version that had walked in. That got him thinking again, though, and he looked at the other nations, his good mood falling. They all looked so tired… It was like when the guardians had arrived after he had seen Jack for the first time. "…Pitch is going after you guys, isn't he..?"

It wasn't really a question, but many of them nodded anyway. Arthur-who he assumed was England- spoke in response. "Yes… and that is why we need you to tell us anything you know about what's going on." There was a pause, and everyone's mood seemed to deflate. "Jack said you and your friends were attacked the other night?"

Jamie nodded slowly, feeling a little guilty even though he knew he shouldn't. "Yeah… he got everyone but Sophie. They were still getting nightmares the past two nights… Me too."

The guardians looked angry, and he had expected that, but the nations looked mad too. Alfred sighed, and he could see his fists clenching in his lap. "Pitch kidnapped my brother… and Feli's, and Ludwig's. Do you have any ideas as to where he might be or how we can find him..?" He asked the question like he had already guessed the answer. They all knew he was still a kid…

He frowned. … He couldn't imagine what he would be like if Pitch had taken Sophie. … Somehow, though, it was still hard for him to believe that the man had actually taken a part of someone's family. …Well, okay, he had tried to consume the world with darkness… and had threatened to kill him to snuff out his belief. He tried to think of something-anything- that could help these guys, but… He didn't know where Pitch was hiding, or what he was really planning. Ugh… Sometimes he really wished he was older so he could do more. Slowly, he shook his head. "No… I'm sorry, I don't."

They all looked so disappointed… But Jack sent him a look, silently saying that he didn't have to be sorry. Alfred nodded, too, and gave him a small smile. "That's okay. Just keep on a lookout, alright?"

He nodded. "You got it…" Then, they all stood. It seemed like, to him at least, that they had no idea where to go from here. They were just going to try their best. "Hey… I do believe in you guys." He looked towards his new friends. "All of you."

All of them smiled at him. They looked grateful, and he was glad he'd been able to help at least a little. Bunny set Sophie down next to him, letting him know they were going to leave very soon.

The guardian of hope smiled at his sister. "I'll see you next time, alright Sophie?"

She nodded and smiled, though he could tell she was disappointed. A moment later she hugged Bunny, and he looked very surprised for a moment before he patted her back. "I know, I'll miss ya too." Silently, he sent a look over his shoulder, as if to tell the others 'Not a word'. Soon, though, the moment ended and bunny joined the group.

Sophie gave them a smile and almost started to wave, but a second later she stopped. "Oh, wait!"

All of the spirits paused and turned to her as she ran towards the stairs, stumbling once on the way up. They turned towards Jamie, like he would have the answer, but he only shrugged. He had no idea what Soph was up to.

For a minute or so, they waited. There was some rattling upstairs, a few stray noises, and then his sister reappeared. She rushed down the stairs, careful not to drop what she was carrying. It looked like one of the toys they'd been playing with upstairs.

She smiled proudly and ran up to Alfred, who blinked and slowly knelt down next to her when she reached him. "Um…"

Sophie held the stuffed animal out. Jamie knew it was one of her favorites- a sky colored whale- and found himself smiling. "Here. You need it."

Their nation blinked a few times, slowly taking the toy when she insisted. He looked at it, then at her. "…are you sure?"

She nodded firmly. "M'hmm. He'll protect you."

Slowly, Alfred smiled softly and nodded. "Okay… Thank you." He stood, though he was a tad wobbly on the way up, keeping the animal close. "I'll take good care of him, I promise."

His sister just smiled back, and Jamie couldn't have been more proud. There were smiles on the others faces now, even as they said their goodbyes and headed out. Jack walked over, his mood not entirely dampened, and nodded towards him. "See you soon, kiddo." He poked the middle of the brunets chest as a reminder, his lips twitching upwards.

Jamie grinned and nodded, knowing that his friend wouldn't fail to come back, and waved as they left. He and Sophie watched them go, and he was sure things would work out. The world was in good hands.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

The room was quiet, almost eerie… It felt familiar, and looked it, too, but he wasn't sure why. 

And then, slowly, the memories came trickling back. This was one of the first real homes he had ever had. It was where he and Francis had stayed, before Arthur had won the Seven Years War… He remembered good things about it, like having someone to care for him and love him and… wait.

He blinked a few times, suddenly feeling smaller than he should have. Maybe it had been like that the whole time he'd been standing here… The counters were taller. Everything was taller. It was exactly like he… remembered it?

The boy frowned. Why would he remember being here when he still lived here? That was weird… He shrugged to himself and began looking around, a smile gracing his lips. He didn't see his bear anywhere, which was sort of odd. Where was Papa? He knew that the man hadn't gone off again, not yet. They still had plenty of time they could spend together before then. 

"Papa..?" The house felt a little empty, and that made him feel a bit scared, but it would be okay. The house was really big, and it would take some time to find out where his papa was. 

He waited, but there was no response from the kitchen. Okay, maybe he was somewhere else… He stumbled forward and into the living room. It was clean, like someone had just fixed it, but there was no one there. The feeling grew, but he knew he was being ridiculous. Papa had told him before that he had no reason to be afraid… because he would never leave. And he knew Papa was right, but… what if he had left? What if something had happened to him? What if he wasn't coming back?

The last thought made his heart hurt and the somewhat familiar feeling race through his veins. Frantic now, he tried his best to climb the stairs. They were big and troublesome. They felt more like mountains than anything else. But he had to get up them, so he pushed and wobbled his way up, even when he felt so frustrated it was hard to think- let along keep going. 

But, eventually, he made it to the top. He had little time to feel proud, not when there was a deafening silence in the rooms that surrounded him. "Papa..?" The candles weren't lit and, though he knew that was normal, it looked darker than it had a few moments ago. It hadn't taken him long to get up the stairs, had it? 

No, he knew it hadn't. But that didn't help his panic. He walked quicker to the nearest room, which happened to be his bedroom. He didn't use it very much. Usually he just went to Papa's room. His eyes scanned the space, but there was no sign of who he was looking for. Shaking his head, he rushed to the next room- the study. There were several small piles of paper inside, and it even looked like the candle had recently been put out, but no Papa. 

His heart was pounding now because there was only one room left. He always found him around the house, though, so he had to be there. His papa wouldn't have just left him… 

He ran towards the room at the end of the hall, but stopped once he had gotten too close. The open doorway seemed to stare him in the face. There was a bad feeling coming from it, and he didn't like it… It made him want to turn back, hide in a corner, and cry. But he still had to see. Even if Papa was busy and didn't need him to be a bother. 

The feeling kept getting stronger, and he bit back a whimper. "…P-papa..? êtes-vous ici?" (Are you in here?)

Slowly, he entered the room. It was just as dark as it looked, and he couldn't help but think he had done something wrong. But his papa was there by the window, his back turned and face hidden. Was he sad..?

"Papa?"

The man's back straightened, but he didn't turn around. He continued to stare and asked something, his voice soft. The language was different, but, for some reason, it was understandable. "What are you doing here..?"

His eyebrows furrowed. What did he mean..? He answered in the same tongue, uneasy, "I was looking for you. I was worried."

For a few moments, there was only silence. It greeted him, enveloped him, but he didn't welcome it. He found that he hated it more than he thought possible, though the reason why was unclear. Then, slowly, his papa turned. Mathieu's stomach and heart felt as if they had been plunged into ice, though, again, he wasn't entirely sure why. All he knew was that Papa should not be staring at him like that, with that cold and dark expression he had only seen once in his life. 

Those blue eyes just stared into his, questioning, and he began to move closer. Had something happened? He couldn't recall anything, though there was something tugging at his memory… Why was his father acting way? 

The voice he had known- the one that reassured and comforted, that cooed and sang to him at night- was now morose and empty. It was filled with every bit of dread that he felt. "I am so sorry, Mathieu."

He stopped dead in his tracks. Something was not right, and… he had some itch of déjà vu that said he should know exactly what it was. He opened his mouth to ask, but it would not work. Silently, he figured that if he could not speak, he could at least move. As Papa continued to stare, he moved forward and hugged the man. It will be okay…

But then, as his Papa straightened like he was going to push him away, he knew it wouldn't be. No… things went wrong in an entirely different way than he felt they would, and it was somehow worse. 

The man did push away. He stared into his eyes, as if trying to find something there. In those searching blue orbs, however, there was no recognition… and it seemed, after a few moments, his papa had given up on what he had been searching for. "Who are you?"

His throat began to constrict. "I'm… I'm Mathieu." He didn't- couldn't- understand. The name had been spoken just a few moments ago and now…

Francis shook his head, and a new spark entered his eyes. Anger, fear… "No, I don't know anyone by that name." His voice was harsh, despite the fact that he was talking to a child. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?!"

W-what? "B-but I am Mat-"

"no," he growled, voice hollow, "you are not." 

Tears sprung to his eyes and he did what he could only sense his father figure wanted him to do. He ran, and he got the hell out. Down the stairs, out the door, into the woods… He kept thinking maybe he would be called back-maybe it would be some cruel joke- but there was nothing… There was only silence, and that terrified him.

He sprinted through his woods. They were him, a part of his land, and they shouldn't be scary… but instead, that was exactly what they were. They continued on forever, as quiet as the dead, and the more he tried to find a clearing or an escape… the more he remembered. 

Because of those memories, he was a child who had witnessed armies, battles, separation, and death… and he was scared out of his mind. There had to be someone. He knew that there was someone. They would make things better. They had to. 

…and then the whispers began.

They reached his ears in seconds, filled them with words he somehow knew. They said things that made his heart pound painfully in his chest, and his throat want to close up. They were familiar voices, ones that he would have loved to hear, but they said everything that he didn't want to listen to. 

Is anyone missing, one asked, so clueless. 

I don't think so, called another, all too happy to whisk away his absence. 

I won't forget you, said a cheery voice, but it was somehow condescending and cruel. It lied. 

I'm sorry, whispered a friend, but they weren't sorry. Far from it. 

_What's your name again..?_

_Who are you?_

_Who are you?_

He shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Shut up," he cried, breaths short. "Shut up!"

_**Who are you?** _

No, he knew who he was. Other people did too. They had to! "Stop!" He couldn't breathe. He was going to die out here. "Stop it! Please!"

For a moment, there was silence. He waited, trying not to wail, a smidge of relief beginning to edge its way in… and then… He felt it before he heard it. There was a low rumble, an edge to the air. It came from all sides, not loud, but… shattering. 

_**Who** _

_**Are** _

_**You?** _

And he ran again, pulse pounding rapidly in his ears as the question echoed. Every few steps he would fall, but he kept going. Different emotions, like hands, tried to grab at him- disappointment, desperation, anger, frustration… and then a pit of depression and emptiness.

Then he came upon a clearing, finally. The words were still there, but they faded a little in the sunlight. He searched, frantically, for any sign of someone… and, suddenly, he found two someone's and a voice greeted him. 

"Hello."

Now he was Matthew. Alfred and Arthur stood a few feet in front of him, and his brother was a little older than him. Though, now that he thought about it, he felt older. Had he grown? More memories flooded his brain, some pleasant and others exactly the opposite. He managed a smile, unsure if he should let himself feel relief or be cautious. "Hello…"

Arthur was closer, and greeted him again with a smile. "What's your name, lad?"

His stomach began to drop again. "…M-matthew…"

Alfred waved at him and he felt the urge to smile. The other man regained his attention, his smile still bright and… a little unnerving now that he thought about it. "Lovely name." There was a pause, and the silence returned inside it. The man said lowly, "It should sound a little more like Alfred's though…" 

His brother raised an eyebrow at his caretaker. "No it shouldn't."

Arthur rolled his eyes, his expression beginning to seem condescending. "Oh, of course it should, love. You'll see when you get older." He turned back, and looked him over, his eyebrows furrowing. "You look… a bit like someone I know, when I think about it." He raised a hand, tugging at a lock of his hair. "Oh, you're the boy the Frog found…" He laughed softly. "That's too bad, then…" 

There was something dark around the Brit, and he didn't like it… A suffocating feeling began to settle around him, like he was trapped. "I-i…" He wasn't sure what he should say. It wasn't like he could apologize for being himself… But he did it anyway. "I-I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's alright, um…" He paused, frowning. "What was it, again?"

"…Matthew."

"Oh, yes, right…" The man stood and began to walk away, motioning for him to follow. "Come along, M…" He paused again and looked back with a raised eyebrow. 

He didn't even answer this time. He stayed quiet, and Arthur just smiled and nodded suddenly, as if he had spoken. He continued, and, not twenty feet later, turned back again. The same process repeated, and he gave a shaky sigh. The feeling from before was about to crush him, but he knew Alfred was still there. When he looked, he saw his brother was watching him, a sympathetic expression lighting his features.

Just when it looked like he was about to say something, his expression dropped. He blinked a few times, as if trying to clear his vision, and then looked around the clearing. When he turned away and saw Arthur waiting in the distance, he immediately stopped. A confused expression flitted across his face, and he returned his gaze for just a moment. 

Words came, and they were ones he thought Alfred would never mean. "I don't know who you are…" Worst of all, it looked like his brother was trying to remember, but he just couldn't. It was like there was nothing about him to remember… because he wasn't worth remembering. There was nothing there, and, moments later, he smiled and said sweetly, beginning to follow Arthur's trail, "But you mean nothing to me." 

It felt like air had been sucked out his lungs, like his life was somehow… gone. The voices returned, but it was like they were in his mind now, and everything outside of it was an ear splitting silence. He had nowhere to escape from them, or anyone to prove that what they were saying was a lie.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The streets were incredibly busy today. He wasn't sure if there was some sort of market or what, but it was obviously why he had gotten separated from that bastard. The boy grumbled to himself, trying to push through the mob of people that set him on edge. 

It wasn't that he hated crowds but these people were so much bigger than him… and stronger, and probably meaner…. They could have been with the stupid German soldiers for all he knew. They could have tried to capture the stupid tomato bastard… 

He whined softly and walked faster, trying to push through the crowd, despite his size. Please let me through… "Excuse me… excuse me…" 

A few people looked down at him and asked if he was lost, or if he needed help, but he shook his head. He would say, "No, I'm fine. I know where I'm going. My boss is just over there," and they would believe him. He was never sure why, because he was obviously on his own in a city of strangers and he was nowhere near okay. They probably just didn't care… 

Part of him said that he should ask for help, but, even though he was starting to agree with it, he didn't. No, he just needed to find Antonio and then everything would be fine. The bastard actually cared enough to ask until he didn't lie, or if he was really upset he would refrain from asking too much, which… No, he didn't appreciate that. Not at all. He just had to find him for the tomatoes, and that was that… 

He bumped into another person and they gave a low, "Watch it," not even looking to see who had done it. That sent him backwards and into another set of people, who went on as if he didn't exist. He watched them pass around him on all sides, tears forming in his eyes. 

…oh who was he kidding? He was lost and Toni could be anywhere!

Panic began to bubble in his chest. What if he couldn't find him? What if someone had captured him? What if Antonio had just ditched him and wasn't planning on coming back?

Oh no… His eyes narrowed and he head-butted through the nearest group of people. They gave a noise in protest, but he was used to it and continued ahead. There were far more people than he had seen in a market place before. What the hell was that all about? Why were they everywhere? Gritting his teeth, he went through another small group. He still didn't know where the hell he was, but… Slowly, it felt like he was making progress towards the center of the square. 

After a few more minutes of scrambling through people, they began to thin out. They may have finally seen he was trying to get through and tried to be decent enough to let him, but who knew… The tears weren't stinging his eyes now and he smiled a little at the thought that maybe the tomato bastard would be proud of him for getting through the crowds and keeping himself under control. 

That thought slowly flitted out of his mind, however, the more the crowd began to disperse around him. Soon enough there were openings he could see through, and he frantically searched for Antonio… and he did find him, only… only Toni wasn't looking for him. 

He all but stopped in his tracks, watching, his stomach dropping like a rock. Familiar laughter flitted through his ears- two kinds. When he looked closer, he saw that his boss was sitting on a bench near the fountain, cheerfully talking with his little brother. Feliciano was sitting on his lap with that stupid maid dress on, smiling like there was no tomorrow. 

He didn't want to believe it… Antonio… The bastard hadn't been looking for him at all.

The tears were back, stinging his eyes harshly, and he furiously tried to wipe them away as he stormed forward. "Hey, you-"

The tomato bastard was saying something… and he was now close enough to hear it. "You are so much better than your brother… He is such a pain, you know?" The words made his lungs feel like ice, especially when Feliciano only smiled and giggled, nodding in agreement to the statement. 

"M'hmm."

He couldn't move… Had they really just… said that? He hadn't meant to push them away, he hadn't meant to act like that… but it was who he was, and it was all he had. He tried to speak, but the words were pathetic and shaky. "Y-you… you bastard…" 

They couldn't hear it, he knew that… but they still turned and the bastard's eyes widened. "O-oh, Lovi, there you a-"

He shook his head slowly, the stinging growing. "…save it."

His boss paused, blinking at the look on his face, while Feli turned around, eyes wide. And then… Antonio laughed softly, patting Feli's back as if to assure him he wasn't in trouble. "Mi tomate, I am sorry I did not tell you earlier, but... I traded you back to Austria."

He… he what…? "You…" There was no stopping the tears now. He didn't even try. The people in the square were watching him, as if he were some freak. …and he felt like one. "You traded me… b-back..?" But… he had thought…

Feliciano nodded, suddenly grinning. "Si! I get to live with Big Brother Spain now!"

The man gave a small nod in agreement, and looked around the square almost apologetically. Was the tomato bastard… embarrassed of him? "I know it's sudden, Lovino, but Roderich promised he would treat you well."

No… no, this couldn't be happening. It couldn't… His mouth opened and closed a few times, but he couldn't make it work. Roderich… Roderich couldn't handle him. He wasn't patient, and, more than that, he wouldn't let him be himself. The curses, the yelling, the fits… that was somehow how he worked. Toni was the only one who had put up with him through that… 

But when he looked at Antonio's smiling face, he saw that that was a lie- an act- too. 

"You… you can't." His was grasping at nothing, but he had to keep trying. He couldn't just give him up like that. Not after all they'd been through. 

Antonio gave him a disgustingly sympathetic look. "But I already did, Lovi." And then… he stood, picked Feliciano up, and left, without another word. He watched as they faded from sight, unable to move, as his brother waved from over Toni's shoulder. 

Everything was quiet for a moment, but then the people began to live out their lives again. They walked around him, talking, laughing… but no one stopped to ask why he was in the middle of nowhere. No one wondered why he was crying. 

No one wanted him. 

He ran, not knowing how it could get any worse, but the feeling of dread had returned… There was always more, wasn't there…

It was going to get much, much worse.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The wall was everywhere. 

As far as he could travel, as much as he could try to escape from it… it was always right there. Always in sight, never far away… 

He was trapped. There was no way across it, not after the security been put in place. It was terrible… He felt suffocated, as if someone was just squeezing his windpipe, waiting for him to run out of oxygen. His people were cut off, if they really were his people anymore… 

Gott, he was dying. 

He could feel it now. There was downward pull, like he was going into the ground, and an empty, cavernous feeling that just wouldn't stop. It wrung out his insides with anxiety and paranoia-not like he didn't have enough of that already- and… he swore he was going to go insane. It felt like years that this had been happening, which was strange because time usually flew past him…It had to be because of what happened. He knew that. 

It was just… amazing that he was still alive. It was probably something Ludwig did. 

That brought a small smile to his face. His hardworking little bruder… And then the smile vanished. West was probably taking things really hard after… after everything that had happened. He could only imagine what he was doing at the moment, and it filled him with dread. 

He raised his head to look at the wall, watching it forlornly. "I'm going to make it back…" 

There was a laugh from behind him. "No, you won't."

He stopped breathing for a moment. It felt like his heart had stopped… Then, slowly, he turned. "…Ivan." His voice wasn't as strong as he had hoped, but he didn't feel strong either. Far from it.

The man smiled at him, though he could easily tell it was filled with anger. There was something odd around him, it seemed… Maybe he was just seeing things, but looked and felt a lot… darker than his aura usually was. "Hello~ Is nice I finally found you, is it not?"

He tried not to flinch, and failed. Something was wrong. Everything just… felt wrong. It was freaking him out, and his heart was rattling in his chest. He bit his lip, because he knew he was supposed to agree. 

Ivan raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, his wide smile melting into something far worse; a smirk. "You know, Gilbert, there is nothing for you behind the wall."

And there it was again. His breathing was faster now, far quicker than it should have been. "I-…" He's just trying to get to you… "There is."

A matter-of-fact head shake met his stare. "No, you are wrong. If you look, you will see."

Look..? What the hell did he mean 'look'? He hadn't been able to look through the wall in… in he didn't know how long. 

Ivan motioned behind him and, sure enough, when he turned there was a large crack in the middle of the wall, just big enough for him to see through. Unsure, he looked back. It had to be some kind of trick, right..? The guy wouldn't just let him look… But he found himself walking towards the crack, more dread seeping the parts of his chest that should have been filled with hope. He leaned forward, immediately noticing the ever present ache in his body as he did so, and… it seemed everything inside him had stopped. 

On the other side, there was both everyone and no one at all. Some people were milling about the streets like they normally would have, while others looked at the wall in worry. But he knew they weren't worried about him. They were worried about someone else, a family member… but where was his brother? His eyes scanned the crowd, distant voices reaching through the blood rushing in his ears. Where, where, where- there.

Ludwig looked… He wasn't in bad shape. He guessed that was a good thing, but his expression gave no concern at all. In fact, he looked… happy? Frantic and unsure by this, he called out; tried to get his attention. "West!" Nothing. "Ludwig!" Still… nothing. "Bruder!"

That received something, at least. Ludwig turned and looked at him, but there was something wrong with him. He just looked confused, as if they had never met. 

"Bruder, it's…it's me," he assured, nearly more to himself than anything else. His hands were trembling. "I-it's gilbert. It's…" His voice stopped working, and he fell silent, knowing he wasn't Prussia any longer. "I…"

His brother only blinked, not even attempting to help him. Then, moments later, Feliciano came into view. He was acting like his usual, cheery self. The Italian looked between the wall and Ludwig, his eyebrows furrowing. "What are you looking at, Luddy..?"

He watched as Ludwig shook his head, frowning. "I…" There was a pause, brief and fleeting. "It's nothing, Feli." And they both turned, but he could hear his brother say on as he walked away, "It was just a man talking to me. I have no idea who he is."

It felt as if something had shattered inside him. Ivan was laughing behind him, and he knew through his tears that it wasn't actually Ivan. Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong but he didn't know how to fix it. Not when he was like this, not when… 

Part of him remembered a bite. It was from somewhere far off, but he knew it had happened. It was a small wound, but it hadn't healed. It stayed for… for… h-however long… 

Someone had to have stolen the air from around him because none of it was getting in his lungs. Everything was shaking and he just hurt. It felt like cuts were appearing everywhere-like parts of him were disintegrating- and when he opened his eyes he could barely see red appearing. 

I am dying.

Everything was a blurring. The laughter had stopped, but still felt like it was ringing in his ears. There was so much hurt and it was pulling him apart. 

No, no, no, no, no, no, no no no no no nonononono-  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pitch had to take a moment to calm his breathing. He had really been careless…

He had gotten far too caught up in looking at their nightmares. It was habit now and he had been checking to see if the work was adequate… but, in the end, those three…

He shook his head furiously and turned towards the nightmares that had paused further down the corridor. They were watching him almost as they had after his last defeat, and he was not about to take that. He growled at them and their eyes widened exponentially before they raced off into another cavern. That… made him feel a little better, but… not really.

If he was being honest with himself, he really didn't feel better at all.

The mood that had taken over when he was kidnapping the trio-the feeling of power and satisfaction and whatever else from getting back at the guardians and some of those pesky nations- had worn off… and now he was… he wasn't sure what to call it.

The spirit frowned and walked to the entrance of the… it was more like a cave than a room. His new lair was far less fitting than the last. He still felt more than a bit irked by that. But, nevertheless, he peeked in, watching as several large nightmares swirled around the three nations he had stolen. The nations themselves were tossing, sometimes groaning or crying out. There was a load of power he got from them, though he was careful not to let the nightmares influence on them become too much. He didn't want World War III on his hands, and he knew he would have if the stupid adults become too paranoid. It wasn't like they weren't already… His plan was going well so far and the power was a lovely addition to the situation, but…

In the end, the trio's fear was a reflection of his own. Being left forgotten and alone, with no one… and, as much as he hated to admit it, he did not like to see those fears play out.

He sighed and returned to the room, pausing for a moment as he looked from his pets to his captives. He saw that Canada's nightmare had shifted into something else shortly after he had left it, as had South Italy's. Prussia, or East Germany, whatever he liked to be called, however had…

Pitch raised one hand and dismissed a few of the nightmares from above them. They seemed a little confused, but he only ushered them out and told them to take their fill somewhere else until he called them back. When they had left, he walked to the silver haired man and knelt in front of him. There were still a few small nightmares above his head. They weren't very powerful now-they wouldn't even create one of his horses.

What he found… odd however- he refused to call it worrying- was the nation's physical state. Breathing far too fast, harsh trembling…

He flicked a finger toward the sand, a little unsure. The nightmares dissipated a little, though not as much as he would have liked. Huffing softly, he gave them a more purposeful tug and the dust gave a small poof, all but vanished. For a moment the room was nearly silent and he placed a hand on the man's shoulder, knowing what would come next.

There was a small shift in the nation's breathing and suddenly his eyes snapped open, wide and panicked. He jolted upward, probably trying to get away from that nasty sense of death that still clung to his mind, and was stopped from going too far and tumbling into a nearby craggy wall by his captors grip.

Pitch watched as realization slowly came alight in his eyes. When the man's trembling body stopped leaning forward like it was going to bolt, he patted his shoulder. "That's better, isn't it?" He did know what the personifications name was, actually…

Gilbert stared up at him, still nearly in the same position he had been in while asleep. For a moment there was only an empty look before the dread and panic once again began to set in. He shook his head slight from side to side. He may have sensed the other two next to him or he may not have…

The spirit sighed softly. "I know you didn't have a very good nap, so… I would like to ask again." He could see the undeniable terror in those red eyes. It felt like he was split in two on the subject- part of him loving the fear and the power it gave him, and the other…

The nation's tears had only stopped briefly after the nightmare had ended, and now they started anew. He shook his head more frantically now. "No, no… n-no…" He wasn't actually answering the question. Rather, he was pleading for him to not ask because… well… they both knew the answer.

He knew it absolutely now, if he hadn't before. He knew, if not only from common sense, then from their fears themselves, and from the fears of those closest to them. This personification's-and not only him but the others too- were his biggest answer. After all… you could learn so much about an individual from what they feared. Inside one little scenario, you could see their hopes, dreams, desires, worries, and quite possibly their memories; all the little things the guardians protected displayed right there in front of him…

As Pitch watched the man's breathing speed up again, part of him whispered that he should stop this reluctance nonsense; that he should actually test to see if nations themselves could become fearlings without causing an intense disturbance with their people. He was tempted to agree with it, but he knew that that notion was insane and absolute nonsense- even more so than the way he was acting.

Knowing this, he frowned. "You can make the right choice, you know." It was obvious that he believed he was making the right choice…

So why did he keep asking?

There was another rapid shake of a head, and the spirit sighed, as if to appear bored instead of disappointed. "Very well." He waved a hand, ignoring Gilbert's pleas, and called two nightmares back over. They settled over him and the nation was immediately knocked unconscious.

Pitch nodded towards them and stood, briefly reaching into the two entangled horses to change a few things around. When he was done he nodded to himself, and, after a brief debate of doing the same for the other two, shook his head. Why, he would never know, but he would try again later.

He exited the room, nodding to the few curious nightmares in the hall to go about whatever he had told them to do earlier, and they did. He walked into the main cavern soon after, glaring a little halfheartedly at the damp, mucky walls he had been stuck with for the past three years. There was an anger boiling in his chest, and it was a little different from the one that had stuck with him all these millennia. This one… He gritted his teeth and barely saw a few nightmares skirt away from as they sensed his discontent.

He looked over their nightmares again in his mind and nodded, the shadows within him writhing to take control of his anger. He pushed them down for the moment, though he knew they were already beginning to break through his weak hold, and briefly searched for the location of the other nations and the guardians that were trailing them. Pitch took the nightmares of those he had played with into consideration, knowing almost immediately just who he needed to "talk" with.

The sand coiled almost violently in his grip and he picked one of the first nightmares he had reined in control of, knowing it would be the easiest to use without detection. He smirked as it left, his senses following it. "Let's teach them a lesson they won't soon forget…"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"Do you need a place to put that?"

Alfred blinked, having been staring off into space for who knows how long, and refocused. They had stopped near the woods by Jamie's house. A few of the guardians had gone to check Pitch's old lair, just to make sure it was vacant. Most of the nations were milling around or talking, and Kuma was sitting close by, their… well, he was apparently their "attack bear" now after the American had grabbed him from the house. He turned to see Arthur a few feet away, looking worried.

"Oh um…" He looked down at the stuffed whale, which he was still debating on naming, and shook his head. "Nah… I want to hold onto it. Thanks, though."

The Brit nodded slowly, "Alright… No problem."

There was a shuffling sound from the general direction the others had gone in, and everyone immediately quieted down. Jack, tooth, and Bunny exited the woods, the rabbit shaking his head. Tooth flew ahead and stopped in front of them. "It's as empty as we left it…" she looked to him, then to Ludwig and Feliciano. "I'm sorry… We'll find them somewhere else."

The two nodded, and he sighed. He was starting to feel angry now… He still couldn't hear Matt, but he could feel just barely that he was still being blocked. Arthur had already said he, or any of the other magical nations, didn't know how to remove it. When he could find the energy, he really needed to pick a fight with a punching bag.

A hand rested on his shoulder and he turned to see Sandy. The golden man made a few pictures above his head, which seemed to translate to what Feli had told him earlier. Alfred nodded slowly, knowing they were both right. The guardian went on after getting the attention of the rest of the group, asking where they thought they should check.

Antonio was the first to make a suggestion. "… Should we check their countries? He may have found something there."

Jack leaned on his crook across from him, thinking. "Maybe… That's either the first or the last place he would expect us to look." He glanced up, looked to him and to Feli. "Anything..?"

He glanced towards Feliciano and saw they both shared the same expression. They shook their heads. "Nope," he answered.

The spirit of winter sighed and pulled his hood up. "We can't just search every country. That wouldn't get us anywhere."

"You're right."

They paused and turned to see North, who had apparently returned from the pacing he had started when the other guardians had left to scope the place out. He rubbed his temples, a determined expression taking place of the tired one. "I know something we could try… It would be risky, and she may let us talk with her, but I think it is worth a shot."

There was a questioning silence, and Ivan asked from behind them, "Who is it we would be talking with?"

North sighed softly, and sent a knowing glance to a few of the other guardians. "Mother Nature."


	14. Chapter 14

The Guardians had no idea where they were going.

Or, at least, that was the conclusion Arthur had come to after following them aimlessly through the woods for hours on end. The other nations must have come to the same realization after all this time, and yet… For the longest time, no one said a thing. The Guardians continued to assure them that it was just a little further. No one, including himself, questioned them aloud.

It was easier to ignore the obvious and follow that shred of hope than to question it and come to the realization that it had never existed in the first place.

Alfred, unsurprisingly, was the one to finally voice what they had all been thinking. He was running on fumes already, and the stress of the situation-his brother nowhere to be found and his worst nightmares close to coming true- was certainly not helping. That had started… something. They were all exhausted, and frantic. It was only a matter of time before tensions came to a head.

It took too long for them to sort things out. This was what Pitch Black had intended, he was sure, and if he had read right it didn't seem like it was the first time.

They just kept walking. Hoping. Waiting…

They all shared a similar resolve. The nations and, surprisingly, the guardians. Despite having just met them they worked just as hard.

It was interesting what the threat of another war could do to someone… though he knew that they did actually care regardless.

Biting back a sigh the umpteenth sigh, Arthur attempted to cast out his magic again. It was a struggle with the anxiety and panic gnawing at his insides, not to mention the exhaustion. Magic was difficult enough to control when one was at their best… When one was at their worst, well…

Static bit nervously at his fingertips as he reached out with his senses. Wind nipped at branches, snow crunched beneath his feet… a fairy or two flew about somewhere at the edge of his sight, but that didn't help. Nothing did.

Arthur still couldn't sense Mother Nature's hideaway, and he was nearing his last straw. North had already tried with the same amount of success, and no matter how much he looked there was never anything… Matthew had been through a lot in his lifetime, but he could only imagine what was being done to the young man psychologically at Pitch's hand.

"Goodbye."

His fingertips dug into his palms. If only he could believe he was still dreaming… When he got a hold of Pitch he was going to-

"Anything, Arthur?"

He met Francis' eyes. The man was a wreck, maybe even more so than him. He had started at the front of the group, and finally fallen to the back where Arthur had remained. He had to make sure no one had missed anything… "No… There's nothing." He rubbed at his temples, drawing his senses back in and fighting an impending headache. He was glad there were no Nightmares headed their way, but… "I'm sorry…"

Francis laughed softly, but there was no amusement in it. "If this weren't such a terrible situation, I might make fun of you for how easily you said that…"

Arthur gave a wry smile. Of course… "I wouldn't expect anything less…"

"Don't put yourself on such a high horse," He muttered. "We're all at fault."

Arthur had to suppose that was true, even though he should have been able to sense Pitch beforehand. He left the conversation at that and his eyes skirted over to Alfred, who… well, he didn't look any better. In fact, Arthur wouldn't be surprised if the American suddenly dropped. It was worrying to say the least, and yet it was almost overshadowed by how quiet Alfred had been. He had spoken a handful of words their entire trip, and most of that was when he had called out the Guardians. Arthur would have understood if he had ranted and raved, screamed at the sky for Pitch to show himself and give Matthew back. The fact that he wasn't doing that was… unbelievably unnerving.

"You should go talk to him."

Arthur's eyes narrowed in agitation, but he knew the man was right. Still, this was not the time for Francis to get on his nerves. "Probably…" Not probably. Definitely. Reluctantly, he said, "Keep watch back here for me."

Francis gave a hum of acknowledgement and Arthur weaved his way to the front. He stopped when he was walking side by side with Alfred. For a few moments, neither of them talked. He didn't think Alfred even noticed him until he paused mid-step. "Nice to see you made it up here…"

Despite being spoken so blearily, the words gave him a ghost of a smile. He had been trailing the group from the beginning, making sure they hadn't missed anything and… preparing for an attack, just in case. Arthur took a moment to look the young man over though, now that he was closer. He seemed better than when they had left in terms of distress… Though, briefly, there was a shift in his expression- a flicker in his eyes- that Arthur recognized.

Anxiety, fear… panic.

Arthur assured quietly, empathizing with the undeniable urge the younger nation must have to lose that shred of rationality hunt down anything that was keeping him from finding Matthew, "We'll find her… and Matthew."

Alfred was quiet a moment before he nodded, his eyes finally looking ahead again. They weren't as searching as before, though… They had relaxed a bit. "You know…" He began, his voice reflecting the change, "Being in here makes me feel better. It reminds me of when I was little…"

Oh yes, he could remember those times… Alfred was always a rambunctious child. He loved to go out into the wilderness. Climbing trees, romping around with the animals… it had all been second nature to him. He would find Alfred in a tree even when he had 'grounded' him, so to speak. And as to before he had been taken in… it wasn't hard to imagine where he had spent most of his time. "You did always like it in here…"

The woods would probably be having a similar effect on him if he hadn't had that dream… though now that he thought about it he did feel a bit better… or, at least, he was certainly calmer than he had been before.

That…was definitely odd. He was calmer than before.

The world's children were going to be swimming in fear if they didn't hurry, and probably some of the adults, too. And with three nations missing, and even more being effected… He didn't even want to think about it, much less his own fear, guilt, and anger that had been swimming around since the beginning. All of that was still there, and yet he suddenly felt like he could breathe without being swallowed by it.

He was going to voice it, but Alfred beat him to it. It was less of him speaking and more of him coming to a stop. For a moment he only looked ahead, his eyebrows knitting together, before he asked quietly, "do you… feel that?"

Arthur stopped as well, knowing the others wouldn't be far behind, and waited. He didn't have to shut his eyes or even look to find what the American was talking about; the explanation for the sudden change. There was a hum in the air; familiar, ancient and… immensely powerful. It almost felt as though it was trying to speak to him, pull him in.

The others seemed to feel it, too. The other nations had stopped in his peripherals, and the Guardians looked… confused? Or perhaps relieved. He couldn't tell. The hum was steadily growing, turning into much louder waves. The sound began to ripple, and Arthur had to shut his eyes to ward off the sudden wave of dizziness that washed over him. When he did, he noticed that the pull was growing stronger, too. And then… As suddenly as he had felt it, it stopped. When he opened his eyes again…

Beautiful wasn't a strong enough word to describe it.

Lush trees surrounded them now, their previously bare branches now replaced with deep green. Further off, there were changing leaves that reflected the bright yellow and luminous orange of the sunset. Flowers sprouted at their feet, and… nearly everywhere else. They came in every size and color, from every part of the planet. The puddles that surrounded them, too, he felt were connected to different bodies of water around the world.

It took his breath away. It was as if humans had never taken their hand at nature… Like they had never taken from something that wasn't theirs to control.

Words escaped him, but no one else seemed in a hurry to ruin the peace that suddenly surrounded them. A few of the Guardians moved forward, looking for something, but the rest of them were too in awe to worry about what could come next.

They had finally found it. Or, more likely, Mother Nature had let them find it.

Arthur couldn't help the relief that flooded him… and with it the threat of the shadows flooding the world felt far less present; far less of a threat. This place felt safe. It felt like weeks since he had been this secure, and because he was able to let his guard down he realized…

He was bloody tired.

Though he was still half mesmerized by the place, he could tell with without even glancing that the other nations shared his weariness. They had all come to a stop by now, a few of the more effected personifications using a tree trunk for support. If they were like that, then Alfred must be…

Arthur turned towards the American just in time to catch his knees buckle. He grabbed Alfred's arm, tugging him up to keep him from toppling over. "Alright…" He hadn't been so wrong about him getting knocked off his feet after all. "Up you go, Alfred. Come on."

The younger nation blinked heavily, mumbling under his breath. "...Wha…?" He groaned. "…F've m're m'nutes…"

Arthur rolled his eyes and hoisted him up into a standing position with some help of the towering Russian not far away. When Alfred was up, he seemed to come back to his senses… at least a bit. He looked at Arthur, his expression almost painfully confused, and the older nation explained, "You nearly passed out."

"Oh…" He laughed softly, yawning. "Thanks, then."

Ivan patted him in the back, which was almost enough to send both of them to the ground. "We're almost there, Fredka." He took a few steps, avoiding the puddles of water that sprouted from the soil. "You can keep up with me, yes?"

Arthur fought back a smile as Alfred forced himself to stand straighter. After a few moments he was able to hold himself up again. His usual bravado wasn't entirely lost. "Are you kidding me..? Piece of cake."

"Good." North cut in. He did look a bit worse for wear, and oddly anxious, but he was still as ready to press on as ever. "I am sure she has sensed us by now."

That much appeared obvious. A fog, which had been some hundreds of meters away, was now within easy walking distance. If that wasn't a sign… then Arthur didn't know what was.

They began walking again, an unsaid anxiety filling the group once more. Only a couple of the Guardians had even met Mother Nature, and even with that connection… they all sensed her unpredictability. She had let them in, but it was up to her if she chose to help them or not.

They maneuvered past puddles, ponds, and streams, unsure just how deep they were. The fog surrounding them grew thicker and thicker by the second, the bird calls still sounding in the distance. What looked like twenty feet felt like a much, much longer trek… but, thankfully, it soon became apparent they wouldn't have to keep going much longer. The wind, which had been relatively calm, began to tug and push at them. The fog began to dissipate, and soon it was thin enough for them to see someone approaching. The form was vague, but they knew exactly who it was.

The hum, which had become a dull ring in the back of his mind, intensified to something much more powerful. It was nearly a physical sensation now, pressing against him from all angles, and that ancientness he had sensed returned at fill force. Finally, after a few moments, Mother Nature appeared through the veil. Clouds followed where she approached them, her long ebony hair and the tails of her earth green dress flowing behind her. She stood tall and firm, her presence giving an air of authority and power far greater than anything he had seen… That unpredictability they had sensed seemed to lay just on the edge of chaos-just like the pull that had brought them here- and yet there was still a hint of something gentle about her… Something kind.

Arthur felt she would either vanquish them where they stood or be a valuable ally, depending on how they played their cards.

When she reached them, her expression was guarded. And, by that, he meant it would have been easier to try and read a rock. Still, she greeted them graciously. The nations received a nod, and what may have been a smile, before she turned her gaze to the Guardians. Her expression hardened and, no matter how impartial she seemed, it was obvious she didn't take well to them being in her domain.

Thankfully, she relaxed when she saw the Sand Man. "Hello, Sanderson," she greeted, giving him a warm smile. "How have you been?"

The Guardian of Dreams shrugged his shoulders as he returned her smile, a few pictures forming in quick succession above his head. Despite how fast they went by, she didn't seem to have trouble deciphering them.

Her smile slowly faced and her expression sobered, becoming rigid once more, as she nodded. "Yes, I am aware of that. I assume you will need to take care of the children now, though. There won't be any interruptions unless absolutely necessary." Sandy sent a questioning look to the rest of the group, but she assured, "I will talk to them, not to worry."

Sandy hesitated for a brief moment, but they all knew Mother Nature had a point. The gold spirit had spread his sand when he could, but there were so many children and so little time. He nodded slowly, and floated further into the fog. They could just spot him and his sand sprouting from it as Mother Nature addressed them again.

"Please, follow me."

Despite the pleasantry, her tone gave no room for disagreement. Not that any of them would have the gall to disagree with Mother Nature herself. They followed her as she guided them further into the murky fog, stumbling here and there. After a minute or so they reached more stable ground. The puddles and streams dwindled, and there was enough room for them all to sit comfortably.

She motioned for them to do so, and no one was going to say no. The ground was more comfortable than Arthur thought it would be, but… anything would feel comfortable after walking for so long. It also felt incredibly nice to be able to sit without worrying about shadows and Nightmares attacking from behind.

Mother Nature gave them another small smile before she returned her attention to the Guardians, her expression souring once more.

North took the hint, his normally confident smile shrinking. "I know that you've made yourself neutral in this war…"

Ah, that… certainly explained a lot. The mere mention of the war seemed to have a significant effect on her mood. Though it hardly showed visibly, the wind picked up. She met North's eyes, but he firmly held her gaze.

"But," he pressed on, "I assure you that we wouldn't have come to you unless it was necessary."

A moment of silence passed between them. Arthur was afraid she was refuse them and show them on their way, but when she looked at him and the other nations she sighed. "…Very well. Continue."

North took a deep breath, as if he was bracing himself. "Pitch has taken three nations."

Everything suddenly stopped. The streams and trees all became unnaturally still. Arthur found himself very grateful that none of them had decided to remove their coats. The wind fell to a dead stop, the temperature plummeted…Mother Nature's expression was carefully-or perhaps deadly-calm. When she spoke, her voice was as cold as the air around them. "Who was taken?"

Ludwig answered in place of the Russian man, his voice a mix of anger and exhaustion. "Prussia, South Italy, and Canada."

The temperature dropped even further. Ice had begun to spread across the earth, and while Jack looked more comfortable the rest of them were freezing. "I see…" Her voice was tight with anger, though Arthur could see her worry grow as she took in the state he and the other nations were in. She seemed to think for a moment-hesitate. "You want to know where to find them."

It wasn't a question, but they nodded all the same.

Alfred muttered next to him, voice soft and immensely tired, "We would be very grateful, m'am…"

Arthur had to toggle between the urge to smile or smack him. Alfred was even more childlike when he hadn't slept. With all this exhaustion, the Englishman was surprised he hadn't magically turned into a four year old.

For a moment, the mask over Mother Nature's expression seemed to drop. She took in Alfred's words, took in all of them sitting there, and there was sadness in her eyes. Indecision flitted off and on again across her face. Her fists were clenched beside her, and they appeared to be shaking lightly with anger.

It may have been the briefest moment, but the surroundings reacted. The wind, eerily still moments ago, now pounded against them. The temperature continued to drop, growing more and more frigid…

Jack looked up, his eyes frantically flickering, as if watching an invisible creature. He was worried, that much was obvious.

The spirit seemed to understand the havoc she was causing and shut her eyes, taking a long calming breath. Her hand rose, following the pattern of the wind, and the gusts slowly calmed. "I apologize," she muttered, eyes flickering open once again to meet their gazes. Her expression was steady once more, her voice both empty and apologetic. "I did not mean to lose control like that." There was a long pause, and she took another breath, as if preparing herself. "Pitch has come into my domain in this uprising, and I find it fair that I should have some leeway into his. I will help you."

Arthur felt dizzy with relief. Thank god… They hadn't come all this way for nothing.

"I realize that time is of the essence, but I think that Sanderson could do with a few extra minutes." For the first time, she regarded them in all together. "When you leave, you will be near Pitch's lair. I cannot take you directly there because of my neutrality, and I'm afraid that I cannot be of more help of it would only make things worse."

It was clear that she was telling the truth. Her neutrality was much like Vash's; stalwart and unmoving. And, based on the range of reactions they had seen from her, if she joined them in the fight it would likely cause a disaster.

"You only need to move west to find him," she continued. "Be careful. Your sudden appearence will be unexpected, but I am sure he has some plan in place for your arrival... If he isn't so arrogant that he completely disregards the possibility." There was a pause and Mother Nature's gaze fell upon the nations once again. It wasnt hard for Arthur to imagine how terrible all of them probably looked. "Until he is ready, please rest."

Part of him was fundamentally against the idea, but it was very hard to resist something like that coming from such a powerful spirit. He could sense the other nations nearly fall over with relief at the request, and he wasn't far behind.

A few minutes was good enough.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wind wisped back and forth around the area, though the spirit was far calmer than before. Jack supposed they were just anxious.

He turned to the group of nations, leaning against his crook, a smile slipping onto his face. Most of them had taken the opportunity to sleep. He wasn't sure what it was, but Mother Nature certainly had a way with words. They were out like a light as soon as she had mentioned resting.

...Okay, so maybe 'out like a light' wasn't the best expression to use right now.

His thoughts wandered back to Jamie and his friends, as well as the other children out there. Hopefully they were alright. Sandy was working at one hundred and ten percent, and Tooth's fairies still had enough belief to pick up teeth. Or, he supposed they did, anyway. They didn't exactly have a lot of communication with them, and he wasn't sure if Tooth could even see them in this bubble.

Jack hoped Gilbert, Matthew, and Lovino were hanging in there, too. He knew firsthand how much damage Pitch could cause, and… well, he had no shortage of material to work with with these personifications.

"Jack?"

He stiffened, turning towards Mother Nature. He still felt a little out of place around her, considering where his position was. He had been created and chosen by the Moon, and yet his abilities lay in the realm of a Nature Spirit. That wasn't to say that she hadn't made him feel at home the first time he had met her, but… "Y-yes?"

She smiled softly. "There is no need to be so nervous. Could you come with me? I would like to have a word."

"Uh… okay."

The winter spirit followed her to a nearby stump, past where the Guardians were waiting. She motioned for him to sit, and he did. She sat politely next to him, her smile thinning. Just as anxiety began to sprout in his stomach she assured, "You've done nothing wrong, Jack. I only want to give you a bit of advice."

A relieved sigh escaped him. "Oh, good. For a second there, I thought…" He paused. "Never mind. I'm listening."

She nodded, appearing relieved herself. "Thank you." She met his eyes, her expression turning steely, invoking a seriousness that could not be ignored. "My advice to you is this: do not repeat the mistakes of The Guardians."

"I… what?"

"Do not repeat their mistakes," she said again, waiting for him to calm down enough to listen. "They have banished Pitch time and time again, only for him to return in a darker state than before. There is a balance, yes, and he continues to try to break it… but can I assume right in saying you know why?" She paused, eyes searching for some kind of recollection in his. "That you empathize with him on a certain level?"

A cold feeling settled into his stomach. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Before, he had wondered just how much more it would have taken for him to turn into Pitch; to lash out and destroy anything and everything for an excuse to simply exist. "I... That doesn't mean-"

She held up one hand, politely stopping him. "I realize it does not mean he has the right to do what he has been doing. It does not mean he has the right to continue. That is exactly why I am speaking with you." She glanced towards the Guardians. There previous malice in her eyes had been replaced with exasperation. "There will always be fear. It is necessary, Jack, and if used in the right way it can protect as much as your friends do."

The words didn't seem to make sense in his mind. There was no way fear could protect as much as it could hurt… was there?

Mother Nature rested a hand on his shoulder. "This is all I wanted to say. I know you it is hard for you to believe, but… could you at least think about it?"

Slowly, Jack nodded. He wasn't going to refuse a request like this from her, strange as it was. "I will…"

She smiled once more, inclining her head towards him. "Thank you." She gave a glance toward Sandy, who was still sending out dream sand like there was no tomorrow. "I'm afraid this is all the time I can give you all... I regret I can not allow more."

"That's alright. Thank you, Mother."

The spirit nodded once more and stood gracefully. Jack followed suit. "You are very welcome. Now... I think it is about time the Nations wake up. They should feel much more rested." She paused, turning to him. "And please...give Pitch my regards when you see him."

Jack nodded, giving her a crooked smile. She was obviously upset about the Nightmare King hurting the nations-not to mention kidnapping them- and he was happy enough to give the dark spirit an extra bit of frost when she couldn't do so herself. "Of course." He began to walk over to the nations and give them their wake up call, but was stopped after a few steps.

"One more thing," Mother Nature added. "… I know you trust your friends, Jack, but I think it would be best if you didn't tell them what I spoke of just yet."

He frowned softly. THe idea of hiding something from the guardians wasn't ideal, especially with the memory of what had happened last time, but he had to agree with her on this one… They probably wouldn't take it well, and he still wanted to think on it himself. It was something he wanted to address himself, as someone who did undestand Pitch's isolation, before he brought it to the rest of them. With a curt nod, he had Wind take him to the nations. His serious mood disappeared in seconds as he regarded the sleeping bunch.

Things were looking up. It wouldnt be easy, but they could do this.

"Wakey, wakey..!"

They didn't have eggs and bakey, but they sure had a lead on Pitch.


	15. Chapter 15

The wind bit hard against his jacket, and Ludwig had to suppress a bought of shivers. The mud grabbed at his boots like hands, the right one almost coming off for the hundredth time since they had left Mother Nature's realm.

As he slipped his foot back in and tugged the shoe out he couldn't help but feel angry - at himself, at Pitch Black, at the damned cold, sleet, and mud. It spread through his body like fire, pushing the cold to the back of his mind, as he held onto the idea that he could demolish the spirit for all he had done when they made it.

When he thought about what Gilbert might be going through… he couldn't help it. No one hurt his brother like that and got away with it. And, as walking itself was a fight, it was a full-on war to calm himself enough to break out of the tunnel vision that overwhelmed him and assure he was still with the rest of the group.

The next time he managed a glance around, the rest of them were still there. Arthur had tried to make it easier for them with his magic, but – even with the extra energy they had gotten from Mother Nature, and Jack's assistance – it really drained him to keep the landscape maneuverable, especially with the weather as it was.

So, they kept going. Feliciano was the closest to him, nearly ankle deep in mud but chugging on like a trooper.

Ludwig had to smile a little at that, knowing he wasn't the only one who wanted to give the Boogeyman a piece of his mind.

Probably sensing his gaze, Feli raised his head. His hair was half covering his eyes, slick from the sleet, arms hugging his shoulders to keep the warmth in. After a pause he looked to his feet, mouth set, and took several agonizing steps forward. A few moments later they were side to side, matching a step with a step.

It felt familiar. Two soldiers going into battle. Two friends fighting for their loved ones.

"Do-do you think we're getting close?"

A shudder ran through him as he looked ahead, but he nodded nonetheless. "It can't be too much further."

It was hard to tell exactly how much time it had been since they had left Mother Nature's realm, but they had to have been going for at least an hour. And, though he wished she could have provided more information, he trusted that she had made good on her word.

It wouldn't be long now.

They slipped further into the woods, moving past evergreen and cedar trees. Most of the leaves had taken their fall to the ground, and the ones that remained were brown and decaying. Ice crawled up the bark and darkness enveloped anything more than a few feet in front of them. Ludwig steeled himself, keeping a watchful eye for anything that could emerge from its depths and face them. He was a realist, and it was obvious given everyone's current state that if – and likely when – they were attacked it would not go well. It was clear that right now they were fighting a losing battle, even if it was one that had to fight. There was little he could protect, especially with Gilbert already out of his grasp. But when something did show up, even if it was the Nightmare King himself, he would make sure he was able to get in a few good punches in.

He would make sure they didn't go down without a fight. He would make sure he protected something, even if it wasn't much.

That thought was, of course, when things started to go wrong. Or, more accurately, when things continued and never failed to go wrong.

The steps to his side stilled. When Ludwig turned he found Feliciano at a standstill next to him, his amber eyes lifting to meet his own with what could only be amusement. "Are you certain you can manage," he asked, tone deeper than usual. "You don't seem have the best record of being able to keep this one out of harm's way."

His breath caught in his throat, and the cold now had nothing to do with the freezing temperatures. Ludwig was torn between wanting to crumble on spot, and scream at the spirit. "You-" It was the only word he would manage, a growl spoken through gritted teeth.

Pitch laughed, the cruel smile looking foreign on Feli's lips. "Yes, me. I see no reason for the surprise. I understand I was expected."

It clicked somewhere in his mind that the spirit was angry, too. Not about his previous grudges or wrongs, but about the aid they had received. The German might have found it humorous if the situation wasn't as it was.

"Oh, not to worry," Pitch continued, smile slimming, "It's only a little hallucination I whipped up. No actual control involved. He's seeing something similar that should be ending right about… now."

In a blink, Feliciano was back to normal. His eyes were wide and rimmed with fear, his posture stiff and defensive. Ludwig wished he could say everything was going to work out, but as he caught the shadows move in the corner of his eye he knew he couldn't.

The darkness closed in. Before either of them could move the ground seemed to fall out underneath them. Seconds later, everything stilled. It took just as much time to realize they weren't in the same place anymore, and the rest of group had been left behind. It was then that the Nightmare King finally appeared in front of them, free of any guises. Ludwig had to stop himself from going through with those punches.

It must have shown on his face, because the spirit looked particularly pleased. "I'm sure you must be frustrated, confused… afraid, perhaps?" He laughed softly, inching forward. "I can always tell."

Surprisingly or not, Feliciano was the first to find his voice. He stumbled forward, expression shifting something darker – something like the fire Ludwig felt. "Where are they?"

The question and accompanying reaction only seemed to further lift the spirit's mood. "I did say not to worry, didn't I?" He clasped his hands together, taking a few more steps towards them. "You see… I don't think you'll have the time. We have much to discuss."

"Like what," Ludwig managed.

"Your own negligence, perhaps? It is a very deep-seated fear for both of your so-called brothers. The abandonment, the shame, the disregard? I barely have to add anything myself."

He didn't want to believe it, but part of him already knew it was true. The words made the fire dim and the anger begin to slip away. It was a hollowing feeling, like what good he could feel had suddenly slipped away.

Pitch's smile brightened, as if he could see it all disappear himself and it had made his demon heart sing. "Ah, so you do see it then? Their unhappiness. Their frustration. Perhaps you aren't as oblivious as I had been led to believe." The smile curled on his lips softened a moment. "It is a pity you won't be able to say you're sorry – you'll never find them. And even if you did there's all that screaming-"

Something snapped. Ludwig had to fight a flinch. He couldn't be sure what was running through Feliciano's mind, but he caught the other nation go rigid in his peripherals. He licked his lips, mouth suddenly dry, and gritted out, "What do you want?"

The spirit took a deep breath, eyes falling shut, far too delighted for his own good. It occurred that he was absorbing their fear. Relishing it. The thought made Ludwig feel sick. "To put it simply, I want you to suffer." His eyes slipped back open, glinting gold. "I would have liked to bring the other one too, but I find he's better when left to stew. You two on the other hand… will not be so lucky." He casually raised a hand and a Nightmare suddenly ran forward, bursting into smoke. Another did the same.

Ludwig coughed, blinking rapidly to try to clear the sand. He could barely see two feet in front of him, but he grasped next to him for Feliciano. It would be a cold day in hell before he let anything happen to him, too.

Pitch laughed again, this time more uproariously. He may have said something, but the sand began to take form in front of Ludwig's eyes. It was grainy and dusty, but it took solidified quickly. A figure was huddled against the wall of a building. Bars were latched tightly over the windows, similar smoke permeating the room. He looked to be muttering, and when he listened he found he could hear what was being said.

Gilbert!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The voices were incessant, one after the other. There was no rest. No peace. 

"Free! We need to be free!"

"You're trapped here with us, little one. You'll never escape!"

"Never! Never!"

There was only so much he could take. Time didn't seem to exist anymore. Life before this was something he could barely remember, and life after… Well, there was no after. 

Protect him, he told himself, I have to protect him.

It was more important than anything. More important than everything. It was the only thing he had. 

A whisper went through the voices, something like a shiver seeming to go through the cloud of monsters above him. They laughed, and it was so familiar. So terrifying. Gilbert didn't even know why.

"Special..? Special to you?"

"We'll hurt him if you escape! We'll rip into him-"

All the air seemed to leave him. Panic blossomed in his chest and soon it was swirling like a storm through his entire body. "No!" Any control left his voice the moment he opened his mouth. The plea was feverish – desperate. "You can't hurt him!"

But there was no doubt in his mind that they could. They could, and they would in a heartbeat. 

The shadows rippled, as if fueled by his panic. Though blackness was all he could see Gilbert knew if he had a light it would not take him long to find the cruel smiles all but etched into their faces. The image struck him of what they were describing – of Ludwig's body strewn across the room, of his beloved brother screaming while he could do nothing.

He could still do nothing. Gott, he was nothing. 

"Yes, you see," whispered a voice in his ear, "You know."

It felt like the space around him was growing smaller, as if the shadows were closing in. They loved to taunt him. They never ceased, trying again and again to find a loophole or a chip in his armor. Now they had one, and it was too much. 

"Don't." The word left without his permission. Weakness was death here. It was failure. But if they already had his weakness, then… "Don't hurt him."

The wave of shadows snickered, soft laughter echoing off the walls of the prison. Thoughts seemed to be doing the same thing in Gilbert's mind, bouncing off one another as each one only made him more frantic. Was this really it? Had it all been for nothing? Would Ludwig be killed by the very things he tried to protect him from?

Something subtle like nostalgia lay somewhere in the back of his mind, and though it was barely there it crushed him. There was nothing he could do to keep the shadows from escaping. They had already escaped sometime long ago. Something was happening somewhere else because where he was… It wasn't real. It was like being barely lucid an operating table, still seeming asleep but feeling all the pain of the surgery. Paralyzed. Trapped. Useless.

As all of the fear swirled around him with that ghost lucidity, a shadow whispered the thought that scared him the most.

"But how can you stop us, little one?"

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
It was like fire rushing through his veins. The anger, the hatred… the hurt.

And still there were the whispers. They were soft individually, little less than a whistle of air before they disappeared. But then they would come at once, all together. Those little voices were earthquakes inside his head, and left nothing but a migraine and a hollow ache in his limbs when they quieted down.

This was where Lovino was now, stuck inside whatever void he had found himself in.

"Why do you lie there in self-pity," asked a whisper.

He gritted his teeth, his skull giving a painful pound at the motion. "Because my head is going to explode, you fuck."

There was a pause. A different whisper answered, "Why not let it? You'll never be seen anyway. You are weak."

Ah, that was a whisper he recognized. It always matched his anger, and his insults. It didn't speak as often, but it only made him more pissed off when it showed itself. Grumbling, Lovino turned his head in the whisper's direction. The fire in his chest had grown stronger at its words, masking whatever hurt he felt. "Fuck you."

"Is that the best you can do?"

"Fuck. You," he repeated.

The laugh caught him by surprise. All was silent for a few moments, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. It was the least they could do to be quiet for five minutes… but it didn't last that long. After a minute or so, the whispers picked up again. Hundreds spoke in his ears, and so many more in his head. It felt as if they were physically there, writhing in his skull and pounding on the sides of his head. 

The words barely made sense. They flew through one ear and out the other, leaving nothing but noise. 

"Stop!" It was all he could manage – all he could think – when it happened. "Stop…"

But no relief came. Lovino could only curl in on himself, and try to fight the waves of pain. They slammed into him one after the other for what felt like an eternity. They always felt endless from start to finish, but, as always, they would inevitably begin to ebb. Each time was stranger than the last. Each time the silence washed over him it felt as though the noise had taken another piece of him. This time, however, was the strangest yet. 

The blackness around him began to shift. With each pound of his head a piece of it would become grainy and detached. The whispers were still there, but they became more distant by the second. Instead of being pulled further into the void it felt as though he was looking into a different type of blackness. 

Lovino bit back a cry as the pain in his head grew more and more intense. It felt like it was on fire – 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The smoke faded in the blink of an eye. Feliciano stumbled again, rubbing the back of his head where the phantom pain persisted. His heart pounded heavily in his chest, and he found he had to fight back a cry of his own.

All those emotions, all that emptiness… Was that what Lovino felt? And there at the end it had almost seemed like –

Pitch's voice interrupted the thought, though it appeared he had come to the same conclusion. He gave them a cruel smile. "It would appear I have a waker. Not the first, unfortunately, but…" The spirit gave a dismissive shrug, any trace of his nightmare sand disappearing. "If you'll excuse me, I have a guest I need to put down."

He had just enough time to catch Ludwig begin to charge for the Nightmare King before the same darkness that had brought them there closed in and ripped them away. It was dizzying for a moment, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.

The chilling wind swept of them once again as Feliciano managed to steady himself. The area looked familiar, but he couldn't be sure how long they had been gone or where exactly they were. He fought to control his breathing as the icy feeling of uselessness grasped at his heart, and bits of Lovino's nightmare clung to his mind.

Once again, he hadn't been able to do anything. Ludwig had at least been able to try, and what had he done? Nothing. He was failing Lovino, his friends…

Anger slipped in, too. His fists clenched at his sides, but Feliciano forced himself put it aside as he finally gave himself a moment to take in Ludwig. The man's hands were shaking, and his usual strong posture was strained. He was barely keeping it together, and it was a little frightening… but Feliciano could recognize that they shared the same feelings of useless. He knew that his anger was mirrored in him.

The realization was enough to make him try to reign in his own emotions and rest a hand on his friend's shoulder. Ludwig caught his gaze after a moment, grateful, and Feliciano smiled when he saw his mind working. There was always a plan in there.

The Italian sighed softly and let himself dwell on what Pitch had showed him. What he had said. Lovino was awake, and somewhere he could feel it. The ache in his head was still there off and on, and through the haze of his own emotions he could feel something else thrumming.

_Lovino?_

If nothing else, he had to try.

It was quiet long enough for Feliciano to hear far-off steps. Their group approached, looking a little wearier than the last time he had seem them, but no worse for wear. The idea of Pitch dropping them so close to their allies rather than separating them completely didn't sit well in his stomach, but he couldn't help but be relieved to see them.

The thrumming in his head picked up again as he watched Jack catch the wind to check on them. The back of his head stung, and Feliciano had to worry if Lovino had gotten some kind of concussion. Maybe that was what had helped him wake? Maybe Pitch had gotten careless?

He hissed when the sting suddenly blossomed into pain.

_Fuck you, bastard. They'll make it._

His heart jumped into his throat. _Lovino?!_

 _Quiet_ , his brother grumbled. _Head burning._

The pain waned for a few moments with the connection. It felt like before – like Lovino was going under again. In the few moments that remained, it felt like the missing half of him was back. Clarity washed over him, and he hadn't realized he had nearly fallen to the side.

"Hey, Feli, you okay?"

Jack had caught up with them. One of the spirits hands rested on his shoulder, the cold touch jarring him back to reality. "I…" The connection had faded. Lovino was out of commission again, but what he had said still came loud and clear.

_Find me, Fratello._

"I know where they are."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Arthur shifted uncomfortably on his feet. His mind hadn't stopped racing since they had turned to find Feliciano and Ludwig gone, and even with the both of them back it didn't want to calm. He had to force himself to listen to the conversation at hand.

"It must be trap," North was saying. "Pitch would not allow us to waltz in."

That was the thought that was going through all their minds. It was doubtful the Nightmare King would have slipped up and let one of the kidnapped nations wake, much less leave one of them aware long enough to reveal their location. Even if it had been a miracle it was likely an allotted one.

And yet…

"What does it matter?" Francis was the one who said it. His arms were crossed over his chest, expression pinched. He had been doing his best not to panic since Matthew had been taken, but it was obvious now that what control he had was slipping. "We know where they are. We know where he is. This is the best chance we have right now."

Antonio nodded next to him, determination clear from his expression. A few others chimed in their support, Ludwig surprisingly one of the most vocal. Arthur found himself inclined to agree. It was the best chance they had, and who knew how long they would have it. Pitch could change his location, or make any number of moves if they waited too long.

Everyone was quiet as they weighed the options in their minds, but in the end… they didn't have much of a choice.

The group rearranged, and Bunny made his way to the center. He looked worse for wear, but he was holding up. He tapped the ground testily, eyes narrowing. "The ground here isn't the sturdiest, so I think its best we go through one tunnel."

That would also help conserve energy, which Arthur knew the Guardians had to be losing. It was the reason he wasn't offering his teleportation. It would take too much out of him at this point to himself and one or two others, much less a group of this size.

After a quick check to make sure everyone was ready and an elbow to North, the guardian opened the tunnel under them. The ground dropped out from under their feet and Arthur's stomach dropped with it, but he forced himself to remain quiet and focused. They slid out the other end remarkably fast, and met the ground with a plop. He gritted his teeth and picked himself up, nearly slipping in the mud as he scanned the area.

The trees were denser than before, and mud was everywhere. It resembled more of a marsh than a forest, and tree limbs were scattered every which way. Despite the chaotic landscape, no nightmares caught his eye. Arthur didn't sense anything yet.

A few feet away, North pulled himself up. "Not better the second time, Bunny."

The guardian in question only answered with a smirk and a shrug, helping some of the group members to their feet. Arthur took a moment to look around. Everyone was in one piece, if dirtier than before. Alfred having some trouble next to him. He was covered in mud, and slipped back into it every time he tried to pull himself back up.

"Agh this is… come on, dude…"

Arthur rolled his eyes and held out a hand. When Alfred took it he hoisted up, nearly falling back himself.

"Thanks…" He sighed in relief a moment later when he found stable footing, and gave a dry laugh. "Maybe we can slide to Pitch's lair."

He had to crack a smile at that. It had been too long since Alfred had really smiled. The fact that they knew the location must have lifted his spirits a bit, especially if he was willing to make jokes.

When everyone was up and had their bearings, Feliciano relayed the location. It made Arthur's stomach churn to think of anyone getting separated or worse, but it had to be done. They weren't very far now. It was around three kilometers away, and Arthur had decided he could spare a bit of energy to make the walk there more manageable.

Everyone was on edge. The apprehension rose with every step they took – not only because they were expecting a trap, but because of the weight of the coming battle. So many children were at stake, and god knew what else. Fear was a dangerous thing, and if Pitch won it was terrifying to think what could happen to the world.

Arthur had already lived through two world wars. He didn't want to experience another.

He tried to fight down the wave of fear that rushed through his chest, but it persisted. There was a looming presence in this area, much stronger than the one they had left. And beyond that, there was… a feeling. Something was wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint the sense of familiarity. Why the Déjà vu?

And then it hit him.

The nightmare. These woods.

Panic cut through his veins like fire and as the surge of Nightmares swarmed his senses he screamed, WATCH OUT!"


End file.
